More Than 100K Marylanders Still Waiting For Electricity

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- More than 100,000 frustrated BGE customers are still waiting for relief Tuesday. One of the big problems: large trees are still sitting on top of power lines. Powerful winds knocked them over during Friday's storm. It's making things very difficult for workers trying to restore electricity. Two thousand utility crews from at least a dozen states and Canada are here to help out with the overwhelming job. The repairs are urgent, as the sick and elderly are vulnerable to this 98 degree heat without air conditioning.

Mike Hellgren has the very latest on the power struggles.

There's damage in county after county across the state. So many people are sweltering in the hot temperatures. Governor Martin O'Malley says the duration of this and the days without power are creating a dangerous situation.

Four days after the storm, a mangled mess of limbs and lines covered some streets. With temperatures outside high and no power, tempers are reaching their boiling point.

"We still don't have anything," said one resident.

While BGE is stressing most customers have been restored, that's little consolation for those living without electricity.

"When the power stops, everything stops," said one. "You can't even flush the toilet."

"We are still in a very dangerous part of this emergency and that's why the most important home, the most important residence we restore to power is the very next one," said Governor Martin O'Malley.

BGE says some customers may not get power until the weekend. They say they don't want to make any false promises, even though they've been criticized for giving vague deadlines.

More than 3,000 power workers have converged on Maryland, working 16 hour shifts.

"This is work that we love to do and when somebody needs help, we're here to help," said a BGE worker.

New video shows the hurricane-force winds that turned so many lives upside down, an epic storm that took the state by surprise.

"There's no light and I have to get up every day in the morning, hoping I'm not late for work," said one woman.

"I'm not going to be satisfied until every home is restored," O'Malley said.

BGE is asking everyone to be patient.