CHANGE MY LOCATION
Storm leaves thousands without power, closes several schools in Baltimore area
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
)
A Honda Accord sits crushed by a fallen tree on Loch Raven Drive in Baltimore County following a severe storm in the region Tuesday. - Patrick Smith/For The Examiner
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Thousands of people were without power Wednesday after a storm ripped through the Baltimore area, uprooting trees and knocking down power lines, Baltimore Gas and Electric authorities said.
“In this storm, the main cause of [BGE] system damage was trees and tree limbs that, in some case, were already weakened from last week’s storm,” said Kelly Shanefelter, a BGE spokeswoman.
“Extensive tree damage means that debris has to be removed before restoration can begin.”
More than 540 BGE personnel worked through Tuesday night to restore power to more than 56,000 customers, with priority given to anything affecting public safety or critical infrastructure, such as downed power lines, hospitals and 911 centers, Shanefelter said.
The hardest-hit areas were Baltimore, Carroll and Howard counties. Areas across central Maryland experienced wind gusts as high as 48 mph, according to BGE.
Power outages forced several area schools to close Wednesday, including Baltimore County’s Pot Springs, Prettyboy and Sparks elementary schools, as well as Howard County’s Atholton Elementary School in Columbia.
In Howard, Columbia’s Long Reach village was the hardest hit, specifically at Tamar Drive and Major’s Lane, Howard County spokeswoman Kathy Sloan-Beard said.
Near Fire Station No. 9 and Jeffers Hill Elementary School, high winds and possible wind shears “took the tops off of trees,” she said.
The fire station at Route 175 and Tamar Drive was surrounded by so many tree limbs that firetrucks had trouble getting in and out of the station, Howard fire spokesman Bill Mould said.
A fallen tree also damaged Ilchester and Montgomery roads in Ellicott City, which reopened Wednesday morning after debris was cleared, Sloan-Beard said.
“We didn’t have any fires or homes hit by lightening, although there were a lot of lighting strikes,” Mould said, adding that a tree fell on a house and a car, but no serious injuries were reported.
Four houses in north central Baltimore County were damaged by the storm, according to county officials.
The houses were on Carrbridge Court in Brooklandville, North Hampton Lane in Lutherville, Brightdale Road in Cockeysville and Belfast Road in Lutherville.
Anne Arundel did not have significant storm damage, Anne Arundel fire officials said.
cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com
smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
4:08 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 7, 2008 re: "High temperatures expected to last throughout the week"
Report as inappropriate
12:35 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 13, 2008
re: "Storm leaves thousands without power, closes several schools in Baltimore area"
Report as inappropriate
6:05 AM MST on Thu., Jun. 5, 2008
re: "Heavy rain, winds leave thousands without power"
Report as inappropriate
6:29 PM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008
re: "O’Malley turns weatherman after emergency briefing"
Report as inappropriate
10:08 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008
re: "O’Malley turns weatherman after emergency briefing"
Report as inappropriate
4:27 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008
re: "O’Malley turns weatherman after emergency briefing"
Report as inappropriate
7:55 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"
Report as inappropriate
7:30 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"
Report as inappropriate
4:59 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"
Report as inappropriate
4:37 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"
Report as inappropriate
7:37 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008
re: "Today's weather: More of the same"
Report as inappropriate
4:20 AM MST on Tue., Jan. 22, 2008
re: "Baltimore braces as forecasters predict prolonged cold weather"
Report as inappropriate
9:51 AM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008
re: "Alameda-Oakland ferry cancels morning trips"
Report as inappropriate
MrHyphy said:
Time to chill on the block with a tank top yadadafeel me?
5 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Was the tree in the picture cut down? There is no breakage on the tree and looks like it was taken down by a chain saw.
6 agree | 7 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Let's not forget those of us that were stranded because MTA doesn't have a proper back up plan for light rail interuptions. Dozens of people waited for their chance to crowd onto a shuttle bus, maybe 3 showed up in the hour i waited. When lodging a complaint, the MTA rep. said they do not plan for these things. REALLY? you should always plan for how to get around an interuption in the line. But then again, its the MTA! BTW, what the hell does O'Malley ahve to do with the weather? Everyone seems to be all up in arms about relating him to the storm damage. It's an act of nature, or as some might say, an act of GOD lol. if so, GOD does not seem to be happy with those that are close minded lately.
9 agree | 8 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Steven Lessner said:
O'malley,busch,and miller would all be typical weatherman where they could lie to the public.Between the state liars and shelia dixon and her corrupt adminstration it's a race to see who can steal more tax dollars. Dixon's adminstration does a pretty good job of stealing since most of her people are black.Instead of giving a tax break she wants to give raises to her people while other people in the private sector are losing their jobs let's give raises and screw the people in the city. Dixon doesn't care about the city of baltimore, one of the most violent in the country.Just as O'Malley could care less about Maryland,this is not the "FREE STATE" anymore it's should be renamed the expensive state that has the most laws in the nation.
9 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
O'Malley would make a better weather man than he is a politician. He could lie about the weather and blame it on Bob Ehrlich and global warming.
9 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Had it not been for global warming there would be 40 inches of snow laying on the ground right now with many people losing thier lives!
7 agree | 7 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Was the issue with VDOT and /or the lack of the national /local reporting
147 agree | 169 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Virginia definitely doesn't know how to handle this type of weather, let alone do Virginia drivers know how to drive. Being from Indiana, it cracks me up to see places of business closing down because the weather report says there's a chance of snow. People need to slow down and remember what driver's ed taught them, it'll save lives.
154 agree | 160 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Cabin fever!!!
156 agree | 129 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The problem is that Virginia does not know how to handle winter weather. It's not just highways. "It was a perfect storm at a perfect time..."? Gimme a break. Just own up to not having enough DOT trucks, and to not having an efficient plan when snow/ice falls. There certainly are plenty of other states that deal with snow/ice every year, yet they don't seem to have these issues. It's amazing really.
161 agree | 155 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
ok
177 agree | 184 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Tinker said:
Just think how much colder it would be if "AL" had not invented global warming!
197 agree | 171 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Actually, there was also a 7:05 ferry from Oakland to SF that I was on - what a wild ride!
225 agree | 208 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree