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Power Problems Continue To Plague Marylanders After Irene; More Crews Arrive To Help

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --  Thousands of people will be going into day number five without power and they're finding creative ways to get by.

Meghan McCorkell has the latest.

BGE has sent out phone messages to let people know if their service will be restored in the next 24 hours. For those in the dark, it can't come soon enough.

The wrath of Irene turned Michele Echo's Parkville backyard into a war zone.

"Green lights, yellow lights, blue lights were sparking all the way up in the sky. We didn't even know what was happening at the time," Echo said.

A massive tree came crashing down, smashing the shed minutes after Echo's husband walked out.

"He had just walked in the house and it fell, so within five minutes of his life," she said.

The tree has taken out power lines to all of Willoughby Road. BGE was warning customers not to go near the power lines until crews come to fix them---but that might not happen until Saturday.

Now neighbors are coming together.

"They're senior citizens. You've got to help them out; somebody's got to do it," said Rich Parks.

Parks has run cables from his generator to four neighbors' homes, but missing power is starting to wear thin for some.

"Playing cards at night after dinner, which we usually do every night, and just reading the newspaper and watching television," said Barbara Adcock.

For light, Jerry Adcock is using the solar lamps from his yard.

"I set them on the mantle and on the table and in the bathroom so we can walk through the house," he said.

County firehouses are letting people fill buckets of water to take home.

"We'll have this open and available as long as necessary," said Baltimore County Fire Captain Robert Murray, Sr.

With another dark night, Echo is staying in good spirits.

"We're actually having a block party tonight. We're all cooking and we're going to share food together," she said.

That Parkville neighborhood was told it could be Saturday or possibly Sunday before their lights go back on.

BGE has now restored about 80 percent of all power outages.

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