Severe Storms Descend On Bethesda
Severe thunderstorm warning issued; Pepco issues statement in advance of storms.
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Update, 5:15 p.m.: A flash flood warning has been issued for Montgomery through 7 p.m., ABC7 reports.
Update, 5 p.m. The severe thunderstorm warning for Montgomery County has been extended through 6 p.m., WTOP reports.
Update, 4:45 p.m.: Montgomery County is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 5:15 p.m., ABC7 reports.
Original post: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Montgomery County at 3 p.m. and skies in Bethesda are already turning ominous.
In advance of the potential storms, Pepco released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
Pepco is monitoring forecasts that call for possible severe thunderstorms this afternoon and into tonight. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch that will be in effect until 9:00 p.m. Some of the storms may produce wind gusts, large hail and flash flooding.
High winds can bring tree limbs into contact with power lines causing power outages. The winds can also adversely affect trees in saturated soil and trees weakened by previous storms causing them to fall onto power lines and equipment producing power outages.
In anticipation of severe thunderstorms, Pepco has scheduled additional line personnel, and Call Center personnel to work overnight. Pepco will continue to monitor the weather and customer outage activity and adjust its resource plans accordingly through Thursday.
Customers of the utility service provider can follow @PepcoConnect on Twitter for instant updates.
Are you getting tired of these storms? What do you do to prepare? Tell us in the comments!
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marsha Nelms muawwad
5:43 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
It is so sad that Pepco is being made the "bad guy" regarding these storms and related electrical outages. The problem is the DC, Maryland and Virginia governments who allow large, trees to be along power lines. All outages were a result of trees falling on lines, not lines falling by themselves. These county governments have shifted the blame to Pepco when they themselves are to blame for not monitoring the trees along the power line routes.
Marsha Nelms Muawwad
Bethesda Guy10
8:00 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
It is Pepco that is responsible for maintaining the tree trimming around the power lines as a function of being a regulated utility "entrusted" by the governments. A document that was leaked years ago from Pepco basically said that a study was done and found that it would be cheaper to allow limbs to fall on lines and clean it up than to proactively maintain the lines. Pepco keeps trying to say they don't do that but if the economics say that is the cheaper way to go then you can bet they will keep moving back to that mentality.