As Hurricane Milton nears Florida, BGE sends power crews south to help

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Gas and Electric is sending crews to Florida as Hurricane Milton is expected to hit overnight. 

The major hurricane is projected to make landfall  just days after Hurricane Helene battered the state's west coast. Although the storm is hundreds of miles away from Maryland, local utility companies are gearing up to assist.

BGE is sending more than 40 employees to Tampa to help restore power after the storm. The team includes line workers, fleet specialists, safety personnel, and other support staff.

"There's a lot of logistics that you have to go through, but on the other end...it's a lot more work, and of course they're racing for the storm at the same time," said Jane Ballentine, a communications specialist for BGE.

Bobby Mallory, has been working for BGE for nearly two decades and said he's seen the devastation hurricane's like Milton can bring– so he knew he had to help.  

"You know we've needed help here on the utility side – people have come out of town to help us– put our wires back up and you know it's only right to do the same thing and go down there and assist," Bobby Mallory, an Electric Training Manager with BGE.  

A total of 15 crews are expected to help repair the damage in Florida. BGE and its parent company, Exelon, are working with mutual assistance networks to share resources, including labor and equipment.

Just last week, the Maryland National Guard was deployed to North Carolina to assist with recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. BGE's team also recently returned from assisting after that storm, and now they are preparing to help again.

"It is devastation, you know people lost everything they've lost their houses they go obviously the pole lines are down–it's very dangerous you know wires. We don't know if they're energized or not. We're an unfamiliar system so safety  our main priority," explained Mallory.  

BGE is sending two managers, three supervisors, one safety specialist, 33 lineworkers, two fleet mechanics, and one equipment operator.

Crews are expected to remain in Florida for about two weeks, and BGE is prepared to send more help if needed.