Baltimore utility crews continued work Tuesday to restore power for customers as temperatures are expected to reach dangerous levels.
About 350 Baltimore Gas and Electric customers, most in Baltimore, remained without power Tuesday afternoon, down from 14,000 customers on Sunday night. Officials said power has been restored for more than 72,000 customers overall, including 80% of those who initially lost power on Saturday.
Heavy storms passing over the region Friday and Saturday generated a peak of 1,000 outage jobs, each impacting a small group of customers, said BGE spokesperson Nick Alexopulos in an email.
“Combine that with nature of the damage — large trees and branches down, wires down, pole damage — and you’re looking at a restoration process that takes time,” Alexopulos said.
The company is also preparing for storms that are forecast for the area later in the week. BGE said 91,135 customers have had power restored since Saturday’s storm.
BGE prioritizes repairs needed for public safety and other essential services such as 911 centers, hospitals and pumping stations. Priority then goes to repairs that would restore service for the greatest number of customers possible. In cases of extended power outages, consideration is also given to customers who have been without service for the longest, officials said in the statement.
In the meantime, Baltimore declared a Code Red for extreme heat Monday, with temperatures expected to climb well into the 90s. National Weather Service forecasters are calling for dry and hot conditions with little to no precipitation.
City leaders extended the Code Red declaration into Tuesday due to the “alarming number of residents” without power.
