Power outages reported across BGE network amid strong winds

Power outages coupled with the frigid temperatures led to holiday headaches for many people. Baltimore Gas and Electric said downed trees and strong winds are causing service disruptions across central Maryland. As of 2 p.m. Friday, there were about 55,000 BGE customers without service. As of 9 p.m. Friday, BGE said it restored ser vice to about 54,000 customers, but that 46,000 were without power. BGE said the outages were due to strong winds knocking down trees and tree limbs that damaged electrical equipment. The company said it increased staffing and secured additional crews to help with ongoing restoration efforts.