News Flash

City of Annapolis
PRESS RELEASE 

Office of Communications
160 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

For Immediate Release:
Mitchelle Stephenson, 410-972-7724 or mwstephenson@annapolis.gov

BGE: More than Half of Reported 
Annapolis-Area Outages Restored

Annapolis, MD (June 1, 2023) – BGE/Exelon is reporting that of the 41,000 homes that experienced power failure on Thursday afternoon, more than 21,000 have been restored as of 8 p.m. Thursday evening. Remaining outages are expected to be restored later tonight or overnight. BGE reports the outages are attributed to equipment failure and not the result of storm damage or heavy usage. BGE also notes that some homes may temporarily lose power as restoration efforts bring neighborhoods back online. Such losses should be momentary.   

As BGE works through restoration efforts, residents are reminded to treat intersections that do not have public safety officials directing traffic as four-way stops. Power has been restored at nearly all intersections, with the exception of small sections of West Street, Rowe Boulevard and Forest Drive. 

Safety around the home: do not leave burning candles unattended and do not use generators in confined spaces. 

Food safety tips for perishable food items (from FDA):

1. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

   • The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.

   • A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

2. If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish, or eggs while they are still at safe temperatures, it is important that each item is thoroughly cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to ensure that any foodborne bacteria that may be present are destroyed. However, if perishable food has been held at room temperature for 2 hours or more (or 1 hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90 º F) — discard it.

Once Power is Restored: 

1. If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.

2. If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.

3. If the power was out for no more than 4 hours, refrigerated food should be safe as long as the doors were kept closed. When the power comes back on, check the temperature in the refrigerator or of the food. Discard any refrigerated perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, eggs, or leftovers) that has been at refrigerator temperatures above 40°F for 4 hours or more. Perishable foods with temperatures that are 45°F or below (measured with a food thermometer) should be safe, but should be cooked and consumed as soon as possible.

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