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Majority of SMECO customers should have power by Monday, utility says
Charles Co. is most affected; 16,000 still without electricity
Staff photo by ANGELA BRECK
Crews work along Route 225 in La Plata on Sunday morning. Restoration efforts are continuing, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative officials said. As of 9 a.m. Sunday, SMECO had about 16,351 customers without power.
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative officials said major restoration efforts are continuing Sunday morning.
As of 9 a.m. today, SMECO had about 16,351 customers without power.
The most heavily affected area is Charles County with 11,600 customers without power.
Approximately 2,400 customers in Calvert County, 451 in St. Mary’s County, and 1,900 in Prince George’s County are without power.
The majority of SMECO’s customers should have power restored by Monday. Some customers in Charles County might not have power restored until Tuesday, according to a SMECO news release.
More than 1,200 outage incidents have been reported.
An incident is a damage event which can range from a blown transformer to a tree on a line or a broken pole.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, all feeders were energized.
SMECO crews worked throughout the night and all day Saturday along with contract crews from Pike, Penn Line and C.W. Wright. Five additional contract crews from Pike, one additional crew from C.W. Wright and two crews from electric co-ops in North Carolina (Tri-County EMC and Roanoke Electric Cooperative) are assisting restoration efforts today.
SMECO’s outage restoration policy is to make repairs that will restore service to the most people in the least amount of time. Transmission lines and substations are repaired first, followed by distribution lines that feed neighborhoods. Tap lines and individual service lines are then repaired to restore power to customers who may still be without electricity.
Customers without power should 877-74-SMECO or 877-747-6326.
Free ice available to Charles residents
The Charles County Department of Emergency Services has arranged for ice distribution for Charles County residents until noon today, July 1. The ice distribution will take place at 7 Jay Gould Court, Unit 1, which is off of Industrial Park Drive in Waldorf.
Residents picking up ice should be prepared to show proof of Charles County residency. Each person can receive up to two bags of ice.
Updated information on the county’s recovery efforts following the severe storms is available at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov.