Tens of Thousands Lose Power in Maryland and West Virginia Following Severe Storms

Severe storms moving through the region have left over 100,000 customers without electricity across Maryland and West Virginia, with the highest concentration of outages in Washington County, Maryland. Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, reported that 36,467 customers in Maryland and an additional 68,804 in West Virginia were without power as of the most recent update.

Washington County, which includes the areas of Downsville and Broadfording, was the hardest hit in Maryland, where more than 20,500 of the county’s 54,446 customers—approximately 38%—were left without service. In neighboring Allegany County, 9,875 customers, or over 26%, were affected. Other impacted counties include Frederick (2,993 outages), Carroll (1,465), Garrett (1,614), with no reported outages in Howard or Montgomery counties.

FirstEnergy has not yet provided an estimated restoration time for affected customers. The company urges individuals to treat all downed lines as live and dangerous, emphasizing the need to stay at least 30 feet away from distribution lines and at least 100 feet from transmission lines. Downed lines may not show visible signs of danger, such as sparks or smoke, but should still be considered hazardous.

Residents should not call 911 unless there is a life threatening emergency, such as downed electrical wires. Residents are advised to report any outages through FirstEnergy’s online portal or by calling 1-888-544-4877. Customers should report an outage even if they believe a neighbor already has, as FirstEnergy’s Outage Management System relies on multiple data points to pinpoint problems. Additional safety precautions include avoiding damaged trees or utility equipment, and never attempting to move or approach downed lines. In the event a power line contacts a vehicle, occupants should remain inside and call 911 unless there is an immediate threat such as fire.

FirstEnergy has reminded the public that various factors besides severe weather—such as wildlife interference, traffic accidents, or falling trees—can contribute to outages. While some repairs may be completed quickly, others could require several hours depending on the extent of damage.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the FirstEnergy website

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