SP Residents Turning Lights Back on After Sandy

The days after a big storm are usually filled with cleanups, checking on relatives and navigating through the dark as homeowners anxiously await the sign of a BGE truck on their street.

For homeowners in Manhattan Beach and Round Bay, that sign of relief came late Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Dennis Nugent, a Manhattan Beach resident, has lived in Severna Park for 30 years and said he is no stranger to losing power. During Sandy, Nugent lost power on Monday around 7:30 p.m. and finally had it restored on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m.

“Where I live we lose power frequently. If there is a storm it is inevitable we will lose power—it is just a matter of when,” Nugent said.

Nugent said he was irritated that BGE wasn't working in Severna Park on Wednesday.

“Yesterday when I called BGE they said they were working in Annapolis and Arnold not in Severna Park, which was frustrating,” he said.

Nugent went to get gas for the generator on Wednesday night and saw a BGE truck sitting on Jones Station Road. He asked the man when he would get his power back.

“He said he didn’t know because it works on a grid system and he didn’t know which grid we were on,” Nugent said. “He told me he was heading to Round Bay next so we would maybe have our power back soon.”

Cathy Willauer, a resident of Round Bay, said her power was restored Thursday morning—but it didn’t stop trick-or-treating Wednesday night.

“Power came back on this morning,” Willauer said in an email. “It did not dissuade trick or treating and Round Bay Halloween revelers. There were driveway tailgate parties by bonfire and fire pits all over!”

Nugent said he doesn’t understand why BGE can’t fix the problem that causes the community to lose power so frequently. During the July derecho Nugent said he lost power for 52 hours. He said he always keeps track because it happens so frequently.

“The problem is it keeps happening and BGE can’t fix the problem. The duration is usually 50-54 hours every time,” Nugent said. “I’d like to see BGE come and address the problem and see why this corridor always loses power. Or at least put Severna Park at the top of the restoration list next time so we don’t have to wait for everyone else in Anne Arundel County before we get power back.”

As of 1:30 p.m., 2,356 BGE customers in Anne Arundel County were still in the dark, the majority in the Broadneck or Annapolis area. However, 92,000 customers in the county affected by Sandy have had their power restored, according to information from BGE.

What stuck with both Nugent and Willauer was the frequency with which these storms and outages keep occurring.

“It has been going on for years,” Nugent said. “I have lived here 30 years. I love living in Severna Park, but the power outages are more frequent.”

Willauer added, “These 100-year events are occurring much more frequently than every 100 years.”

What was your experience with BGE like after Sandy? Is your power back? Tell us in the comments.