High winds that swept through central Maryland on Monday knocked out power for thousands of BGE customers and left crews working around the clock to restore service.

BGE said initial assessments indicate tree damage, wires down and damaged electric equipment throughout its service area.

The company said its storm center is mobilized and crews are responding across the region.

As of 1 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, about 8,800 BGE customers were without service, representing 315 restoration jobs in locations across central Maryland. BGE said the highest number of outages were in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties and Baltimore City, and that damage is spread throughout its service area. The company said it has already restored service for more than 17,600 customers.

BGE said it increased staffing ahead of the storm and took additional preparedness steps. The company said 30 mutual assistance personnel are scheduled to arrive Tuesday to support restoration work.

BGE’s restoration timeline calls for 80% of customers who lost power on Monday, March 16, to be restored by 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The company said it expects the vast majority of remaining customers to be restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday, March 17.

BGE said several factors can affect restoration, including the need to remove trees and limbs before repairs can begin, the challenge of assessing widespread damage, and “nested outages,” when some customers remain out after a larger issue is fixed because of additional damage elsewhere on the line. The company also noted that it is unsafe to operate bucket trucks in high winds.

BGE said its restoration priorities include public safety and essential services such as 911 centers, hospitals and pumping stations. After that, restoration is generally scheduled to bring back the greatest number of customers as quickly and safely as possible, though in extended outages the company said it also considers customers who have been without service the longest.

Customers can report outages online at BGE.com, through BGE’s mobile app, by texting 69243, or by calling 877-778-2222. BGE said those reporting services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and customers can sign up for email and text notifications at BGE.com/alerts. The latest outage information is available on the BGE.com outage map.

BGE also urged residents to stay away from downed power lines, saying fallen overhead lines should never be approached or touched even if they do not appear to be live or sparking. Downed lines can be reported by calling 877-778-2222.

For gas-related emergencies, BGE said anyone who smells gas should leave the area immediately, go at least 100 feet away and contact 911 or BGE at 877-778-7798.