PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Towns in Calvert County saw some of their heaviest snowfall in years over the weekend, with towns reporting an average of 4 to 5 inches of snow. Officials continue to warn residents to practice safety measures — one of which is knowing how to report outages and downed power lines in the county.
Ice poses a particular risk in winter storms. Not only is ice slippery and hazardous for walking and driving, but it’s heavy. That means it can weigh down trees and power lines, leading to outages or fully downed power lines that put people at risk for electrocution.
Officials say that any downed power lines should be considered energized and dangerous, and the best course of action is to avoid them and report them immediately.
Calvert is served by two power companies: Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). Both companies have procedures for reporting outages and downed power lines.
SMECO customers can call SMECO’s outage hotline at 877-74-SMECO (877-747-6326), use the “SMECO 24/7” mobile app, use SMECO’s text messaging service, or report the outage online. The company requests that customers report downed power lines immediately by calling 888-440-3311.
BGE customers can call 877-778-2222, use the BGE mobile app, text “OUT” to MYBGE (69243), or report it online. BGE asks all customers, including those with smart meters, to report their outage.
SMECO and BGE also both maintain outage maps to help customers keep track of outages in their area.
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