A dump truck became entangled in utility lines in Ellicott City, pulling down poles and knocking out power on Monday to a handful of residents on Turf Valley Road.
About 10 customers were without power as of early Monday afternoon, with electricity not expected to be restored until the evening, BGE spokeswoman Linda Foy said.
Residents said the vehicle, part of a fleet that has been working on a construction project, still had its truck bed partially up when it caught the lines at about 9:30 a.m.
"I heard a boom, a small explosion, and all the power went out," said Linda Spencer.
Joseph Dickens was going for a walk when he saw the lines tangled with the truck bed and the driver struggling to remove them. Four utility poles nearby looked like broken wooden matchsticks, he said.
Foy said BGE is in the process of replacing the poles, which can be a time-consuming task.
"It's not a matter of wires being down and restringing wires," she said. "We physically have to put the poles in place."
No injuries were reported, according to county police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.
With power out, Spencer and her husband, both of whom work at home, shut down their businesses for the day. Dickens, meanwhile, went golfing.
"When you get a lemon, you might as well make lemonade," he said.
By mid-afternoon, police were still stationed at the intersection of Turf Valley Road and Turf Valley Golf Road, letting local traffic through when utility vehicles allowed.