Watch CBS News

Thousands Of BGE Customers Still Don't Have Power

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- It is almost day six without power, and crews are working non-stop to turn the lights back on. Still, almost 50,000 BGE customers are spending another night in the dark.

Kai Jackson talked to some people who are still miserable without power, and their patience is wearing thin.

BGE tells WJZ that they have made significant progress restoring power, but the only thing those without power see is red. Five days after Hurricane Irene, thousands of Marylanders remain in the dark.

"Obviously for those who are still waiting, we know that they are frustrated, and I can assure you that the entire BGE team won't rest until every customer is restored," said BGE president Ken DeFontes.

The problem is the sheer volume of customers who are out. In many places, tree crews have to remove fallen timber  before power crews can restore electricity. And the combination of the two is time-consuming.

"There's no water, there's no lights, everything in the freezer and refrigerator just got whacked out," Monye Weiner, a Pikesville resident, said.

BGE says they're working around-the-clock to restore power, but for some, it's simply not fast enough.

In Randallstown, a tale of two neighborhoods has Baltimore County residents frustrated. Homeowners tell WJZ nearly 60 houses are still in the dark, while BGE has restored power to others.

"Loss of food, just the inconvenience alone is enough," said Angelita Coleman. "It's just bad."

In some cases, crews can't remove trees because of live wires.

In Baltimore, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz says he is working with BGE to speed up that process.

"Our crews will come at a certain location, notify BGE that we're waiting for them to arrive, their linesmen will then come and ground the live wire, and then we will take the tree down so that they can quickly move on to the next site," Kamenetz said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.