Sunday, November 27, 2022

Massive power outage across Montgomery County - UPDATE: Gaithersburg plane crash victims rescued



UPDATE - 12:48 AM, November 28: Both occupants of the plane have been successfully rescued, and are on the ground, Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard said. They are being transported to local hospitals with serious injuries, Fire Chief Goldstein announced, a change from earlier announcements that there were no injuries. 

UPDATE - 12:25 AM, November 28: Pepco reports tremendous progress in power restoration, with only 1,297 customers remaining without power at this moment. Utility workers are using a bucket truck to ground the Pepco tower and transmission lines so that the rescue effort can finally get underway sometime this morning.

UPDATE - 11:50 PM: Pepco claims to have restored power to over 60% of customers affected by the power outage over the last hour. It reports there are now 34,688 customers still without electricity.

UPDATE - 11:30 PM: Montgomery County Public Schools will be closed Monday, November 28, 2022, due to the power outage. MCPS offices will also be closed Monday.

UPDATE - 10:01 PM: Maryland State police have identified the pilot of the plane as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C., and the passenger as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both are still on-board awaiting rescue, and are reportedly not injured.  Their aircraft is a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane. Pepco reports more customers are without power than ever tonight, with 113,081 now in the dark at this hour. Montgomery County Public Schools says it will make an announcement about potential school closures later tonight.

UPDATE - 9:05 PM: Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein reports that Pepco crews have to manually climb up to ensure the tower is grounded. The plane must then be secured to the tower. A large crane from Digging and Rigging in Clarksburg has been brought in. Additional personnel resources are due to arrive on-scene at 9:30 PM. "One of our concerns is the safety of the occupants in the airplane, the safety of our fire and rescue personnel," Goldstein said. Goldstein confirmed there are two occupants in the plane. "I have no information, I'm not here to talk about power outages," he said. 

UPDATE - 8:55 PM: A Rockville resident near the Rockville Civic Center park reports their power has just been restored. However, the total number of Pepco customers without power has now climbed back to 76,160.

UPDATE - 8:34 PM: Occupants of the plane that crashed into the Pepco tower have not yet been rescued. The number of Pepco customers without power in Montgomery County has dropped from 80,922 to 75,672.

UPDATE - 6:03 PM: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Pete Piringer reports that the power outage has been caused by a plane crash in the Montgomery Village/Gaithersburg area. The plane is stuck in a Pepco tower and power lines, Piringer said. Passengers on board are so far reported to be uninjured.

Pepco customers across Montgomery County are in the dark, after what appears to be a massive system failure. 78,944 customers are currently without power, according to the utility's outage map. In fact, over 20,000 more customers lost power just since I began typing this article. There is no violent weather in the area. 

Virtually all of the outages are in the central and eastern part of the county, but residents in several areas of Bethesda report that their lights flashed multiple times, power fluctuations that can damage appliances and devices. Few of the outages are west of I-270, in Rockville and Germantown. Some of the biggest outages are in Derwood, Aspen Hill, Olney and Wheaton. There are currently a couple of smaller outages in Bethesda - one in the Woodmont Triangle area, and another near the D.C.-Maryland border.

The outage follows a Thanksgiving on which power outages also occurred across the D.C. area. Stay tuned for further updates on the cause of the power outages.

177 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Plane crash into Pepco tower in Montgomery Village.

      Delete
    2. Did you not read the article because it clearly states that a small plane hit one of their towers

      Delete
    3. It literally on the title and you still ask. Plane crash.

      Delete
  2. When will this be fixed?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They first have to get the occupants off of the plane before they can turn power back on, and then see how much damage there is to the tower and transmission lines from the crash. I think this is why no promises are being made at the moment.

      Delete
    2. I reside in Wheaton, MD. Estimated time frame was extended from 10 PM this evening to tomorrow 7 PM.

      Delete
  3. They said by tomorrow 6pm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I received a text from Pepco indicating the time for power up is 6 am, fyi.

      Delete
    2. in Silver Spring near Dennis Ave, power just recently returned

      Delete
  4. Where did the plane crash happen? Like where in Montgomery village

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the information. Really helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Let's pray that those in involved make it home safe tonight. Let's get those two in the plane and all the first responders that are out helping tonight home. Then worry about our power will turned backed on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, this rescue looks tricky for everyone involved.

      Delete
    2. Pray for what? Angels working for Pepco? 😀

      Delete
    3. Nice comment. Thoughtful person you are.

      Delete
  7. Should not have been flying in fog & drizzle. Must have been too low

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, yesterday and tomorrow are supposed to be clear. It pisses me off that someone can cause so much damage from doing something they probably shouldn't have done today

      Delete
    2. Or maybe their plane malfunctioned and it was too late to detour. I doubt it was purposefully or stupidity. They don’t give pilots licenses to just anyone

      Delete
    3. If the power won’t be restored until tomorrow morning or evening, who will pay for our refrigerated and frozen products? Maybe our computers will be damaged too ! We rely on Pepco for cooking, heating and air conditioning , this is just too bad. Will anyoneor could anyone please txt me on updates, pls? Thank you. My name is Maria, my phone number is 240 687 4863. We live in Derwood! My family has been calling but there is no live person one can talk to. There is only an automated recording that can be heard ! Please help us. Thank you ! q

      Delete
    4. I’m glad the pilot and passenger appear to be OK, but I do have questions about why the plane was flying in this weather; we couldn’t see that far in front of us when driving back from dinner. If an investigation does turn up that weather/low visibility played a role in this crash, I do hope that the authorities make an example of the pilot. To be clear: anytime when people lose power like this, we are talking about potentially life and death situations for some who rely on power for critical equipment, etc., which is why I take the position that I do. My personal inconvenience is irrelevant compared to those in more dire situations.

      Delete
  8. How big is the plane?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I’m having a fit. My husband is having surgery tomorrow morning and we live in a high rise. If we come back from the surgery how is he to climb up to the 7th floor? If we’re not getting power until tomorrow evening?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think most hospitals have a localized backup power supply. Usually it is a diesel powered generator, but this is just my guess.

      Delete
    2. I would continue to monitor what Pepco says as the night goes on. They likely don't want to overpromise on a restoration time until they have a chance to inspect the affected equipment after the rescue. Off the top of my head, if the outage is then said to continue through tomorrow evening, I might suggest contacting a private ambulance service to see if they could provide assistance in getting your husband up the stairs.

      Delete
    3. Hopefully it's 6 AM now and not 6 PM, according to the text the commenter above received from Pepco just now.

      Delete
    4. If you inform the hospital that you have no power at home and no elevator, they may not release your husband until the power is restored. They have to be sure he is discharged to a safe place.

      Delete
    5. I got a notification for 8pm tomorrow 😕

      Delete
    6. I have worked for a private ambulance company and they will probably have a lot of delays if the power is still out after surgery, so that may not be an option. If it is an option, they may charge extra for the number of flights or for sending a second crew to do that much carrying up stairs. Also, being carried up 7 flights of stairs after surgery is likely to produce anxiety. Dropping patients does happen. They do have insurance for it, but the surgery is to try to get better, while grabbing on the rails of the stretcher may open sutures and any fall may break bones.
      I recommend calling (cell phone - if the cell tower is working, borrowing a neighbor's cell phone if necessary) talking with the nurse and social worker to see what arrangements can be made to allow you to stay past the usual discharge time. And ask how insurance would handle any charges. If they have a solarium and they can transfer your husband into one of the hospital recliners, that MAY be something that does not require any extra payment, but you COULD be told that any deviation from standard discharge is not allowed. The social worker is probably most likely to be helpful. In my experience, they are the ones who are most comfortable dealing with non-standard request, because almost everyone calls them to deal with anything unusual.
      Bring as many pillows as you can fit in your car (if you are going by car). If the hospital won't let you stay, ask about any library or business in the area that might have comfortable seats. An uncomfortable seat can be improved with the use of pillows, especially soft pillows. You may need to pick up a prescription of pain medicine before you find anyplace to wait, but if the hospital is able to send that with you, that can make your day go much smoother. Make sure that you understand the dosing and signs of giving too much or not enough medicine.
      If someone is telling you they can't help you, it probably isn't anything personal, just that they can't relate to your problem, so they do not understand.

      Delete
  10. I'm confused. How does a single plane crash cause not 1, but 134 outages?!?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to defer to Pepco on why they can't isolate this one transmission line. From what readers tell me, it seems like almost every area had momentary flickering lights, even if their power stayed on.

      Delete
    2. Because the plane literally crashed into a power line tower and is hung up in it, off the ground, with people still in it.

      Delete
    3. View the power grid the same as you do your house, where there are breakers for different rooms. A tripped breaker will knock out power is your kitchen, but on the other side of the wall, the power remains on in your dining room.

      Your outage occurs because your distribution line tripped, while other lines did not.

      Remember, the grid got built over time. Different distribution lines service different neighborhoods.
      Plus, some neighborhoods use older equipment: the poles are different ages, and the conductors and transformers are different ages and models. Further, some neighborhoods carry greater redundancy than others.

      All these conditions factor into why some neighborhoods lose power while others don't.

      As for what gets restored, when, there’s a prioritization – from transmission lines to substations to distribution lines to powers poles down to the individual homes.

      Hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police stations get serviced first and then the efforts typically go toward how to get the most customers back on the fastest.

      Delete
    4. I am in Downtown Rockville and we had flickering lights for a bit but we did not lose power thankfully.

      Delete
  11. You will tell the social worker at the hospital that he can't be released to go home due to the outage. Try to stay calm

    ReplyDelete
  12. Leisure World has no power. All those elderly people who are alone in their apartments. Scary!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's going to be a chilly night for many. The only positive, aside from no one on the plane being hurt, is that the low temperature forecast overnight is 49 and not 19.

      Delete
    2. We also don’t have power at Norbeck!

      Delete
    3. Leisure World’s power is still out.

      Delete
    4. Leisure World is a retirement community and they have backup generators that are running

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. What part of the county are you in? The Pepco map doesn't seem to have updated yet.

      Delete
    2. My parents live in King Farm and they don't have power back yet. They are in the 'original' section off Gude.

      Delete
    3. My parents live in the 'original' section of King Farm and their power is still out.

      Delete
    4. Im in king farm too and no power yet.

      Delete
    5. I’m also in King Farm and my power is still out.

      Delete
  14. What about schools in Gaithersburg? How do you think that will effect openings?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Given the temperatures, any school without power I believe will have to be closed, under the rules.

      Delete
  15. I live in Silver Spring by Norbeck road and Georgia we also don’t have power.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you are on the same line affecting Leisure World there.

      Delete
  16. I live in Ashton, apparently we were spared

    ReplyDelete
  17. Can Red Cross volunteers provide assistance to the elderly who have no electricity, at Leisure World and elsewhere in the county? Are generators being used? What is the situation with the elevators?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elevators are working. My Mom's place did not have generator power to apartments.

      Delete
  18. Does Flower Hill area have power? Wondering since it is so close

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No power by Flower Hill last time I drove by, around 6pm

      Delete
  19. Is leisure world out of power

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live in leisure world and as of now, 8:18, power is still out.

      Delete
  20. In silver spring MD, NO power is back, NO WIFI.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I’m in Wheaton a couple blocks from Georgia Ave and Plyers Mill and the outage missed us by about 5 houses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting how a particular transmission line cuts through a neighborhood, as to whose lights go off within the same area.

      Delete
    2. I live in Turkey Branch Pkwy Rovkville no power too.

      Delete
  22. Some parts of 355 power is back on

    ReplyDelete
  23. I live in Wheaton, MD and the power went off while I was in the shower. My problem is that I am very sick. I am wheezing and have to use my nebulizer every 4 hours. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I am trying my best not to. Do you think maybe in a few hours it can come back on in certain areas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And just wait til our power grid gets packed with plugged in EVs.

      Delete
  24. I live in Wheaton, MD and the power went off while I was in the shower. My problem is that I am very sick. I am wheezing and have to use my nebulizer every 4 hours. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I am trying my best not to. Do you think maybe in a few hours it can come back on in certain areas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some in Wheaton are reporting their power coming back on. Let's hope it will!

      Delete
  25. Our power just came back, we're in Wheaton. It looks like the damage wasn't too bad based on the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  26. No power on Shady Grove Rd

    ReplyDelete
  27. Regarding the person trying to understand how 1 plane can take out thousands of homes and businesses electric
    The plane hit the very large and tall power lines on the main transmission lines that’s how PEPCO feeds everyone’s electric needs.
    Hopefully that helps?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you Mr. Dyer for what you are doing and the other kind people

    ReplyDelete
  29. I’m in Rockville near Shady Grove hospital….still no power.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Are some areas coming back on ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, parts of King Farm and Wheaton. Some areas along 355. As far as Rockville, I'm hearing folks are still in the dark in College Gardens, Shady Grove, Woodley Gardens, and large areas of King Farm. Total has dropped from 80,922 to 80,075 customers without power, according to Pepco.

      Delete
    2. Rockville has no power as of 8:06

      Delete
    3. I’m in king farm. Still in the dark.

      Delete
    4. Any new update ?

      Delete
    5. Derwood station and still no power on

      Delete
  31. I’m in King Farm. Still in the dark

    ReplyDelete
  32. I live in Kingfarm, still no power, any new update ?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Still out by home Depot and shell station on shady grove

    ReplyDelete
  34. I live in leisure world and no power yet.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I just hope that the plane occupants are not seriously injured. Incidents like this one shows how vulnerable our power infrastructure can be without proper planning and placement. We can't be like the state of Texas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I lived in Houston during the "Great Freeze" of 2021 and now live in Gaithersburg. Grateful that I have a "survival kit" with lots of power banks and solar lights!

      Delete
  36. In King Farm by the Sheraton hotel. No power all around us .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It looks like both the far western and far eastern ends of King Farm are still affected, then. We'll have to find out where in King Farm those lucky few who got power back are.

      Delete
  37. Thank you for the update. Thank you for the folks working on this.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Power still out for all of Downtown Crown and Rio

    ReplyDelete
  39. I’m in Kentlands section of Gaithersburg and still no power. Pray for everyone’s safety.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am on University Blvd W, close to Wheaton Mall and Metro, and we have no power still

    ReplyDelete
  41. I’m in Rockville (some call this area Derwood, Md) off of Redland rd. No power throughout any neighborhood the entire 2-3 mile radius.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I am in a hotel with no power and it is a bit creepy. Looks like a difficult night for responders and passengers. My being without power is a small inconvenience compared to those.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true. A white knuckle position to be in that plane right now.

      Delete
  43. By the community center at King Farm there is still no light in sight.

    ReplyDelete
  44. No power in Brookeville MD. My husband decided to drive south, through main intersection Olney, kept going down to intersection of Georgia and Norbeck in Silver Spring - pitch back

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any idea when power on east side of shady grove station in townhouses be restored? This is one of the area that pays high taxes yet live life of a poor country.Derwood. The school bus depot still sits there even though it was to move after new constructions started 6 years back... list of complaints.

      Delete
  45. I live just off of Goshen rd,about two miles from the plane crash. My lights flickered a few times, but I never lost power. Thank goodness.

    ReplyDelete
  46. In Rockville, part of Nelson st out of power

    ReplyDelete
  47. Fallsgrove Drive no power

    ReplyDelete
  48. Any ide when new townhouses on east of shadygrove station will get power. We have a 3 months old baby to take care and now its getting very cold?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The County fire chief just spoke, and he said he has no timetable for restoration of power yet. They still haven't been able to get the people out of the plane yet because they've had to wait for a crew to come in and climb up to make sure the tower is grounded, before they can even start the rescue. You may want to look at contingency plans if you think it is a risk for the baby, such as a hotel outside the outage area.

      Delete
  49. In gaithersburg some have power and some dont

    ReplyDelete
  50. In gaithersburg some have power and some dont

    ReplyDelete
  51. Aspen hill Georgia Avenue and Hewitt without power. At wheaton in the parking lot because it also took out our data.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a double whammy. This is going to be extra tough with so many working from home now.

      Delete
  52. Lights flickered earlier in Bethesda. Sorry to learn of this plane crash. Hope the pilot, passengers and plane are grounded soon and power can be restored to everyone safely!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thank you Robert Dyer for updating us even though we understand it's not in your hands. I understand you are part of montgomery county govt, would you please pass on some of the take from this thread and pass on to FAA/Fire deptt/PEPCO etc to make things better. Also complaint on no progress on Derwood side to move school bus stop. That has become a joke and residents feel deceived after buying expensive houses there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not part of the government, but some of those relevant government officials do read my website.

      Delete
  54. Any clue if there is power in downtown silver spring?

    ReplyDelete
  55. I wish that person would stop complaining other things to worry about other than themselves

    ReplyDelete
  56. I live in a high rise off of University Blvd W and my building is without power, but both buildings across have power

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are in the same building. Im still trying to understand how we dont but they do

      Delete
  57. Power just came back on by home Depot and shell station on shady grove

    ReplyDelete
  58. Part of the power just went off at home Depot and shell station we are across the street and it stayed on

    ReplyDelete
  59. Power is back in Rockville for me!! I’m near Adventist healthcare

    ReplyDelete
  60. Congratulations Robert. Now since wopo is behind a Paywall and Beth mag has no comments, you are the only source for news and communications for a county of over a million people!

    ReplyDelete
  61. We are back online in Kingfarm Piccard/KF blvd

    ReplyDelete
  62. We’re at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments, across the street from some of the King Farm buildings. No power here. Hopefully we get power back before tomorrow evening. If not, we may have to get a hotel room as we need power to finish some assignments we have due. This sucks big time. Hope everyone is coping as best they can.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Power came back on by Rio im Gaithersburg for 5 minutes and has gone back out!

    ReplyDelete
  64. I live right near this intersection. Very short walking distance to Goshen shopping center, and I have power. Lights did flicker a few times but never went out completely. hope thise involved are safe.

    ReplyDelete
  65. No power in Laytonsville. We’re freezing

    ReplyDelete
  66. I live right near this intersection. I am within walking distance of Goshen shopping center and I have power. The lights did flicker but never went out. Hope those involved are safe.

    ReplyDelete
  67. I am in Olney about 10 minutes from accident no lights anytime soon.

    ReplyDelete
  68. We are losing perishable food because there is no power. This whole situation is seriously unfortunate. I do however, question the pilots reasoning for flying a plane during a rain storm and pepco for their response time.

    ReplyDelete
  69. County exec Ehrlich needs to close the air park permanently tomorrow morning the same way as mayor Daily closed the downtown Chicago airport. Hope he is readiing backhoes to tear up the runway at 8 am tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Power on on Muncaster Road in Derwood - 10:45 pm.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Will all the teleworkers in moco have to go into the office if power is not restored?

    ReplyDelete
  72. Power on - Muncaster Road in Derwood. 10:45 pm.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Power back on in Olney ~10:50. BTW, I love that airport!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Power restored: Drake Dr. off Russet Rd. Aspen Hill area, between Norbeck Rd and Viers Mill Rd.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Power restored: Drake Drive, off Russet Road in Aspen Hill

    ReplyDelete
  76. Power came back on at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments for literally ten seconds before cutting back out. Hopefully we get full power back soon!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Power just came back in King Farm on Grand Champion south of King Farm Boulevard. Thank you heroic first responders and PEPCO workers!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Power back on in Tantera, Olney.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Power on - Anamosa Dr in Derwood

    ReplyDelete
  80. Power restored in Derwood crabbs branch

    ReplyDelete
  81. Power just came back on at 11:10Pm in the Derwood neighborhoods off of Redland rd.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Power back in Aspen Hill area off Gerogua ave

    ReplyDelete
  83. Power back on in Aspen Hill, near Georgia Ave and Connecticut Ave

    ReplyDelete
  84. Power back on in olney

    ReplyDelete
  85. Leisure World back on

    ReplyDelete
  86. Power just came back in Aspen Hill - Georgia and Connecticut

    ReplyDelete
  87. Power is back in olney

    ReplyDelete
  88. Power back on in Aspen Hill, near Georgia Ave and Hewitt some not

    ReplyDelete
  89. Thanks Robert Dyer for doing a great job reporting.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Thanks for good reporting!!

    ReplyDelete
  91. Is power back on in leisure world

    ReplyDelete
  92. I guess we’re some of the unlucky 1,300 households without power here at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Power is back on at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments but NOT in my unit, making me think that the circuit blew when they came back on initially. I’ll try the circuit breaker when my spouse wakes up as it’s in the bedroom and don’t want to wake him.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Thank you Robert Dyer for the great reporting and updates. Good night.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Power is apparently only partially on at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments. The elevators and hallway lights are on, but our unit power is out (not a tripped circuit breaker issue), as is the power at units of several neighbors we spoke to a few minutes ago. I thought that this could be generator power initially but all of the hallway lights and elevators shouldn’t be on with generator power.

    Per PEPCO, they are still working the issue and that all power should be restored by 10AM. If power is not back by then, they say it may be an internal building issue. Note, power came on for like ten seconds around 11PM and then went back out. Very frustrating!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live here, thank you so much for posting this! Just can back into town this morning and had no idea what was going on.

      Delete
  96. I never saw this blog before last night and I am so grateful for it. I looked at the Washington Post coverage this morning and it focuses only on the incident not on the power outage. So sad how local news has gone by the wayside. Your coverage was great. Thank you for doing this.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Thank you for great reporting.

    ReplyDelete
  98. Update at Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments. Most of the building still has power, but it seems that the units on the 4th and 5th floors of building 2 do not; count me along those "unlucky" to live on those floors at the moment.

    Per an email received from the management company 30 minutes ago, PEPCO reps on site (what took them to long to get people out here is beyond me, especially as 99% of the power in the county was restored the night of) say that the main breaker switch (there is a breaker switch in each unit as well) connected to units on those floors was damaged during the blackout. I suspect that the damage occurred during the initial restoration process and all of that power coming through the switch at once did the trick as we had power for literally less than 10 seconds when power was first being restored to the area the night of the plane crash.

    Keeping fingers crossed that we actually get power back today.

    ReplyDelete