BGE Urges Customers to Prepare for Severe Weather and Power Outages Year-Round

Severe storms and extreme weather this year have underscored the importance of being prepared before an emergency strikes. During National Preparedness Month, BGE is reminding customers of simple steps they can take now to keep their families safe and minimize disruptions if power goes out.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) observes National Preparedness Month each September to encourage people to create emergency plans and prepare for natural and man-made disasters. We're also here to help.

BGE continues to invest in technologies and equipment that make the electric system more resilient and help crews restore service faster when outages occur. Examples include using drones to enable more efficient and safer equipment inspections, installing specialized equipment that can automatically restore service or isolate damage, and providing storm restoration staff with mobile apps that help them identify and get to jobs faster.

Those investments contributed to more than 1.9 million avoided customer interruptions in 2025. But no electric system can eliminate outages entirely, especially during severe weather, making customer preparedness an important part of staying safe.

Customers can access outage preparedness resources on BGE.com throughout the year. Whether it's a planned or unexpected electrical outage, you can take steps ahead of time to keep you and your family safe.

Build a Family Emergency Kit with essential supplies, including:

• Flashlights and fresh batteries. Use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire risk.
• A battery-operated radio, a fully charged cellphone with a car charger, and a corded telephone.
• One gallon of bottled water per person per day, along with shelf-stable food and pet food.
• Cash, first aid supplies, blankets for colder weather, and refills of important medications.
• Keep your vehicle ready by maintaining a full gas tank or a fully charged electric vehicle.

Prepare Your Home:

• Have a plan to keep refrigerated medications cold during an extended outage.
• Protect electronics and appliances by plugging them into surge protectors.
• Ensure medical equipment is fully charged with backup power options available.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to help preserve food during an outage.
• Follow the rule: "When in doubt, throw it out" when evaluating perishable foods after an outage. See the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidance on food safety.

Generator Safety:

Make sure to use generators properly to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Never use them inside your home or in an attached garage.
• Have them installed outside, in well-ventilated, dry areas, at least 20 feet from your house. They should point away from your home's air intakes.

Additional Tips

• Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, including BGE's outage line (1-877-778-2222) and remember: always assume power lines are live and never touch a power line.

As one of the Exelon family of companies, BGE participates in collaborative emergency response training exercises with its sister companies, Atlantic City Electric, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO, and Pepco. The companies share best practices to ensure they can provide seamless support and resources to each other during a storm or emergency restoration effort; it's all part of the Exelon Promise to customers.

The FEMA Mobile App provides real-time weather and emergency alerts, sends notifications, helps to locate emergency shelters, and more. For more information and safety tips, visit BGE's Outage Readiness and Safety page.