{ "id": "2022-07-12-university-of-maryland-storm-power-outage", "slug": "university-of-maryland-storm-power-outage-2022-07-12", "institution": { "name": "University of Maryland, College Park", "shortName": "UMD", "state": "MD", "type": "public-r1", "alertSystemName": "UMD Alerts", "alertPlatform": "Everbridge", "enrollment": 41200 }, "incident": { "date": "2022-07-12", "endDate": "2022-07-14", "type": "power-outage", "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification", "headline": "Storm with 90 mph winds knocked out campus power for about 30 hours", "headlinePublic": "Storm with 90 mph winds knocked out campus power for about 30 hours", "summary": "A [severe thunderstorm with winds up to 90 mph](https://aosc.umd.edu/news/looking-back-storm-july-12th-2022) struck the University of Maryland College Park campus around 6:00 PM EDT on July 12, 2022, knocking out all three 13.8 kV feeders to the Mowatt Lane substation. The resulting [campus-wide power outage lasted approximately 30 hours](https://dbknews.com/2022/07/13/umd-college-park-storm-prince-georges-county/) and forced UMD to cancel all in-person and remote classes and operations on Wednesday, July 13.", "resolution": "confirmed-threat", "outcome": "Power was restored by approximately 12:00 PM EDT on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Campus reopened Thursday morning. Nearly 400 trees on campus were damaged. No injuries reported.", "casualties": { "killed": 0, "injured": 0 } }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestamp": "2022-07-12T18:30:00-04:00", "channel": "multi-channel", "verbatimText": "Due to severe weather in the area earlier this evening, the University of Maryland and its surrounding community are experiencing widespread power outages. Backup generators are operating to maintain key campus facilities, and Pepco is actively working to restore power.\n\nIf you are currently on campus, please use caution as tree limbs, fencing and other material may be blocking roadways and sidewalks. We are communicating with and supporting those who are staying on campus.\n\nA decision about the status of campus operations for Wednesday, July 13, 2022, will be communicated by 5:00 a.m., once a review of power restoration and campus conditions is completed. This update will be distributed through the campus alert system via text and email and posted on the University homepage at umd.edu", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-impact-campus-operations", "sourceDescription": "UMD Alerts archive — UMD Advisory: Power Outage Impact on Campus Operations (July 12, 2022)", "annotations": [ "Verbatim body from the official UMD Alerts archive advisory dated July 12, 2022; page footer states it was sent by email and SMS via UMD Alerts.", "Replaces earlier SMS reconstruction that did not match any archived official text.", "Safety-resources boilerplate after the advisory body is omitted as standard footer chrome, consistent with other UMD advisory recoveries in this case." ], "characterCount": 796 }, { "sequence": 2, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2022-07-13T06:00:00-04:00", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": "Due to power outages, University of Maryland, College Park campus will cancel all in-person & remote instruction & administrative operations for Wednesday, July 13, 2022. In-person orientation activities today are canceled. Support will be provided for those staying on campus.\n\nTelework is canceled. Administrative leave will be authorized for regular/contingent II employees. Essential personnel who report on inclement weather days must report as directed by their supervisor.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-impacts-classes-and-operations-canceled", "sourceDescription": "UMD Alerts archive — UMD Advisory: Power Outage Impacts: Classes and Operations Canceled (July 13, 2022)", "annotations": [ "Corrected to exact multi-paragraph body from alert.umd.edu (prior confirmed text was a single-paragraph paraphrase of the same advisory).", "Telework is canceled line preserved exactly as published.", "Safety-resources footer omitted as chrome." ], "characterCount": 479 }, { "sequence": 3, "type": "all-clear", "timestamp": "2022-07-14T11:30:00-04:00", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": "", "isVerbatimConfirmed": false, "sourceUrl": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-update", "sourceDescription": "UMD Alerts — UMD Advisory: Power Outage Update (July 13, 2022)", "annotations": [] } ], "context": "On the evening of [Tuesday, July 12, 2022](https://aosc.umd.edu/news/looking-back-storm-july-12th-2022), a wet microburst with sustained winds up to 90 mph swept across College Park. The storm took down all three 13.8 kV feeders supplying UMD's Mowatt Lane electrical substation, triggering a campus-wide blackout that lasted approximately 30 hours. [More than 27,000 Pepco customers in Prince George's County lost power](https://dbknews.com/2022/07/13/umd-college-park-storm-prince-georges-county/), nearly 400 campus trees were damaged, and UMD canceled all classes and operations on July 13. The university's [evening communications were criticized by students](https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/umd-students-frustrated-over-lack-of-communications-following-storm-related-power-outages/) as slow and sparse, a pattern common to incidents in which the failure mode (lost power) also disables alert infrastructure. By [noon Thursday, July 14](https://info.higheredfacilitiesforum.com/blog/how-ut-austin-kept-the-lights-on-during-an-unprecedented-winter-storm), power had been restored, roads were clear, and operations resumed. The incident renewed discussion about whether large public flagships should run their own microgrids, as UT-Austin had done to maintain power during Winter Storm Uri the previous year.", "keyFindings": [ "Wet microburst with 90-mph winds struck campus approximately 6:00 PM EDT on July 12, 2022.", "All three 13.8 kV feeders to the Mowatt Lane substation were knocked out.", "Campus blackout lasted approximately 30 hours; classes and operations canceled July 13.", "Approximately 400 trees damaged; 27,000+ Pepco customers in Prince George's County lost power.", "Power restored by noon Thursday, July 14, 2022." ], "responseTimeMinutes": null, "sources": [ { "title": "UMD Advisory: Power Outage Impacts: Classes and Operations Canceled", "url": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-impacts-classes-and-operations-canceled", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "UMD Advisory: Power Outage Impact on Campus Operations", "url": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-impact-campus-operations", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "UMD ADVISORY: Power Outage Impacts: Classes and Operations Canceled", "url": "https://alert.umd.edu/node/1449", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Looking Back At The Storm of July 12th 2022 (UMD AOSC)", "url": "https://aosc.umd.edu/news/looking-back-storm-july-12th-2022", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "Massive storm causes destruction across College Park, UMD campus (The Diamondback)", "url": "https://dbknews.com/2022/07/13/umd-college-park-storm-prince-georges-county/", "type": "student-newspaper" }, { "title": "UMD students frustrated over lack of communications (DC News Now)", "url": "https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/umd-students-frustrated-over-lack-of-communications-following-storm-related-power-outages/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Service Outages & Impacts (UMD Facilities Management)", "url": "https://facilities.umd.edu/info-resources/service-impacts", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "UMD Alerts — UMD Advisory: Power Outage Update (July 13, 2022)", "url": "https://alert.umd.edu/alerts/umd-advisory-power-outage-update", "type": "official-archive" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "power-outage", "severe-storm", "microburst", "infrastructure-failure", "maryland", "2022" ], "dateAdded": "2026-05-03", "lastUpdated": "2026-07-20", "addedBy": "ingestion" }