Power outages and black-outs
- Thread starter angelburst29
- Start date
angelburst29
The Living Force
It's cresting towards a full moon tonight.
July 16 is the Full Moon and also the date of a Partial Lunar Eclipse.
Cosmic Rayyyyy's...
I wounder if....
We have about 9,700 customers left to restore. We are working hard to restore everyone. Thank you all for your patience. #safetyfirst pic.twitter.com/aIA462muJS
— Con Edison (@ConEdison) July 14, 2019
I wounder if....
🤓🤓🤓 pic.twitter.com/lQofMfr8v7
— Industrial Engineer Irene Quiroz (@nenecallas) July 14, 2019
Barry Is Just Getting Started - Manhattan Goes Dark - Shinrin-Yoku https://t.co/m6vjiDaZg3
— Oppenheimer Ranch Project (@Diamondthedave) July 14, 2019
Con Edison crews have restored power to more than 15,000 customers affected by the heat and storms over the past 24 hours.
The company is currently working to restore power to the remaining 1,800 customers. About 700 of those customers are in Westchester County, where the overnight winds caused damage to the overhead electric delivery system. The company reports 500 customers out of service in Queens and 300 in the Bronx.
Meanwhile, the company has mobilized a force of 4,000 electric operations personnel and support staff to respond to the extreme heat wave expected to hit the area on Friday and through the weekend. Con Edison urges customers who experience power loss to report outages at www.conEd.com/reportoutage. Customers who report outages will receive updates with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Customers can also check service restoration status at that web address or with our mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When calling, customers should report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
Con Edison reminds its customers they can take simple steps to save energy during the hot, humid weather:
- Turn off air conditioners, lights and other appliances when not at home and use a timer to turn on your air conditioner about a half-hour before arriving home;
- Make sure air conditioner filters are clean so the units will run at peak efficiency;
- Set thermostats to the highest comfortable temperature. Each degree lower increases cooling costs by 6 percent;
- If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block the vents in un-used or vacant rooms;
- To reduce heat and moisture in your apartment or home, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night when it’s generally cooler outside. Use a microwave to cook, or barbecue outside, if possible;
- Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply drawing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat in your apartment or home;
- Use fans instead of air conditioners, but be sure to leave windows open for ventilation. Fans use as little as one-tenth the energy as air conditioners.
The new #SpaceWeatherWoman forecast video is up! Celebrate the first #solarstorm launch in Earth view from a solar cycle 25 sunspot, catch up on #aurora pics, & see why #GPS reception is good while amateur & #emergency #radio propagation suffers: https://t.co/oVDj3us32N pic.twitter.com/egvjCn3GlS
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) July 18, 2019
Amid Heat Wave in New York, 50,000 Lose Electricity (Published 2019)
Early Monday, Con Edison said 30,000 had their power restored and the remaining would have power restored by the afternoon.
Our administration is tracking the outages across New Jersey that have resulted in over 300,000 blackouts caused by this evening’s line of powerful storms. @NJBPU is working closely with utilities and requesting mutual assistance in the assessment and restoration effort.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 23, 2019
Power Outage Leaves Venezuela in the Dark, Again
Most of Venezuela was left in the dark in the latest blackout to hit the beleaguered nation as it suffers from an economic collapse and a crumbling power grid.
www.wsj.com
Power outages in the UK today in the North: Live: 100,000 homes left without power following 'high voltage' incident
And also London and the South East: Major power cut hits large parts of England and Wales
And also London and the South East: Major power cut hits large parts of England and Wales
angelburst29
The Living Force
Energy regulators on Saturday demanded an urgent report from the operator of Britain's electricity grid into what caused a power cut that led to chaos across the country, with trains brought to a standstill and traffic lights knocked out.
Watchdog demands answers as power cut causes chaos across Britain
The hour-long outage on Friday evening left almost 1 million homes without power while two of London’s busiest train stations closed at rush-hour because of overcrowding as services were canceled or delayed.
A hospital in the eastern town of Ipswich said its back-up generator had failed while the cut also hit the airport and metro system of the city of Newcastle in northeast England.
“Ofgem has asked for an urgent detailed report from National Grid so we can understand what went wrong and decide what further steps need to be taken,” the energy watchdog said in a statement. “This could include enforcement action.”
National Grid, which owns the electricity transmission system in England and Wales, said there had been a rare and unusual issue which had led to the almost simultaneous loss of power from two generators.
Major power cut impacting homes, transport in large parts of Britain
Large parts of Britain were hit by a power cut, affecting trains, knocking out traffic lights and disrupting an airport during rush hour on Friday evening.
National Grid says cause of major UK power cut has been resolved
National Grid, which owns the electricity and gas transmission system in England and Wales, said the cause of a major power cut across Britain has now been resolved. There had been “issues with two power generators causing loss of power in selected UK areas,” a spokeswoman for National Grid said. The issue was “now resolved,” she added.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Lightning strike caused power cut in Britain: grid operator
A blackout in Britain which cut power to one million customers and caused transport chaos on Aug. 9 was due to a lightning strike, the grid operator said in a report to regulator Ofgem, which said on Tuesday it would investigate the matter further.
Ofgem commissioned the report into the causes of the outages from National Grid and said it would open its own investigation to establish whether any of the grid and network operators or generators breached their licence conditions.
“Having now received National Grid’s interim report, we believe there are still areas where we need to use our statutory powers to investigate these outages,” said Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem’s executive director of systems and networks.
“This will ensure the industry learns the relevant lessons and to clearly establish whether any firm breached their obligations to deliver secure power supplies to consumers.”
Update: Nearly all PG&E customers have had their power restored at this point (just before 11 am PT), BBG reported in its latest update on the situation.
The utility said that workers from a "third-party construction company" caused the outage when they accidentally struck an underground line.
Embattled utility PG&E reported a service interruption on Friday that cut power to 22,000 customers - about 60,000 people - in San Francisco and stranded riders on the city's Muni rail service.
One reporter said problems with PG&E Substation A had likely caused the outage, which started just before 8 am PT. The utility is hoping to have power restored by 10:30. By 9:50 PT, power had been restored to some 7,000 customers, leaving 15,000 still without power.
PG&E is advising drivers to use extra caution and to treat traffic lights as four-way stops.
The utility said the cause of the outage is still under investigation.
Opinion:
Sakurajima erupted at 16:04 on Friday, 20th. The volcanic plume reaches 3400m above the crater. It is the first time in about two months since July 28 that the volcanic plume rose to a height exceeding 3000m. https://weathernews.jp/s/topics/201909/200195/ It is thought that charged particles of high-speed solar wind that came early this month are influencing.
SONOMA, Calif. (BCN/KTVU) - PG&E won't shut off power to 124,000 Bay Area customers Monday night, despite high fire risk in the region.
Still, the utility said that crews will monitor the weather forecast for Monday night and Tuesday and issue a "Public Safety Power Shutoff" if necessary.
"We're certainly not happy about it, but we realize it's probably the safest option," said PG&E customer Jane Hirsch of Sonoma..
PG&E had warned customers about a possible power shut down after the National Weather Service on Sunday afternoon issued a red flag fire weather danger warning from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Wednesday
"Well, no one likes to lose their power but I'd rather have a couple days without power than have a big fire up here," said PG&E customer Jeff Splitgerber of Sonoma.
The weather service warning applied to the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills, including the Diablo Range, for locations 1,000 feet in elevation and higher, said Roger Gass, a weather service meteorologist.
Forecasters say winds are expected to reach 30-to-35 mph in those areas with gusts of up to 40 mph at the higher peaks and ridges. Lower elevations are expected to see light winds.
Temperatures in the 90s are expected across interior parts of the region. The Bay Area will see temperatures in the 80s to 90s, Gass said.
For more information and to see if an address is affected by the possible shutdown, click here.
Meanwhile:
Still, the utility said that crews will monitor the weather forecast for Monday night and Tuesday and issue a "Public Safety Power Shutoff" if necessary.
"We're certainly not happy about it, but we realize it's probably the safest option," said PG&E customer Jane Hirsch of Sonoma..
PG&E had warned customers about a possible power shut down after the National Weather Service on Sunday afternoon issued a red flag fire weather danger warning from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Wednesday
"Well, no one likes to lose their power but I'd rather have a couple days without power than have a big fire up here," said PG&E customer Jeff Splitgerber of Sonoma.
The weather service warning applied to the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills, including the Diablo Range, for locations 1,000 feet in elevation and higher, said Roger Gass, a weather service meteorologist.
Forecasters say winds are expected to reach 30-to-35 mph in those areas with gusts of up to 40 mph at the higher peaks and ridges. Lower elevations are expected to see light winds.
Temperatures in the 90s are expected across interior parts of the region. The Bay Area will see temperatures in the 80s to 90s, Gass said.
For more information and to see if an address is affected by the possible shutdown, click here.
Meanwhile:
Two firefighters and two civilians suffered minor injuries Saturday after an electric explosion at the Old World Village's Oktoberfest celebration in Huntington Beach, California, authorities said.
About 15-20 minutes before the explosions, someone called the fire department after lights at the event began flickering. A four-person crew responded, Huntington Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff Lopez said, and went to investigate an underground vault.
When they opened the vault, there was a first explosion, the HBFD said. Then, there were two more explosions, sending flames shooting high into the air.
Firefighters called for help from the fire crews at around 8:19 p.m., the HBPD said.
The explosion took place in the 7500 block of Center Avenue.
Newschopper4 Bravo observed at least two firefighters on stretchers and a crowd of people evacuated, including people dressed in traditional German attire.
In addition to the event evacuation and the injuries, a large power outage was visible as Newschopper4 Bravo was flying over the scene.
Dozens of people have been stuck inside sky-line cabins at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for hours, following an alleged power failure that crippled the recently opened ride
A Walt Disney World spokeswoman confirmed that there was an “unexpected downtime” on the Skyliner ride, but emphasized there were no reports of any injuries – after several photos showed multiple gondolas smashed together pretty hard
Stranded visitors and witnesses posted photos and videos of rescue crews with ladder trucks pulling people out one by one. One witness told local media he and his mother have been stuck for several hours, while some have reportedly waited for help for more than three hours.
Tenerife power cut leaves entire island without electricity - 09/29:
Tenerife power cut leaves entire island without electricity
A major power cut in Tenerife left nearly 1,000,000 people, including thousands of British holidaymakers and ex-pats, without electricity today. The massive power outrage affected the entire Spanish island and saw emergency generators installed at the two airports and hospitals. The cause of the blackout, which occurred around 1pm, is remains unclear. People living near to an electricity power station in Candelaria, on Tenerife’s east coast, reportedly heard a blast around the time power went down.
More than 900,000 residents live in Tenerife alongside tens of thousands of tourist and cruise ship visitors. By around 8pm, around 65 per cent of the full service had been restored. However, full power is not due to be restored until the early hours of Monday morning, local authorities say.
Debbie Moyse, manager at the Cozy Cafe in Playa de Las Americas, added: ‘I reckon I’m going to lose around 10,000 euros in food alone. ‘I’ve been in Tenerife for five years and have never heard of a blackout this size. The whole of the island has been hit. ‘The owner has been here for 20 years and it’s the first time he’s heard of a blackout on this scale either.’ Chloe Bambrick, who was staying in Adeje in the south of the island, tweeted tonight: ‘I’ve sat contemplating my life all day with no phone or electricity because the whole of Tenerife has had a power cut. ‘Eight hours later I’m still sitting in darkness and starving.’.
A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency services coordination centre said: ‘We attended 759 incidents because of the power cut between 1pm and 4pm. ‘They were mainly related to incidents involving lifts that had stopped working, alarms going off, opening of doors and other electrical incidents. ‘None of the essential public services, airports, ports and hospitals, have been affected.’
Tenerife power cut leaves entire island without electricity
A major power cut in Tenerife left nearly 1,000,000 people, including thousands of British holidaymakers and ex-pats, without electricity today. The massive power outrage affected the entire Spanish island and saw emergency generators installed at the two airports and hospitals. The cause of the blackout, which occurred around 1pm, is remains unclear. People living near to an electricity power station in Candelaria, on Tenerife’s east coast, reportedly heard a blast around the time power went down.
More than 900,000 residents live in Tenerife alongside tens of thousands of tourist and cruise ship visitors. By around 8pm, around 65 per cent of the full service had been restored. However, full power is not due to be restored until the early hours of Monday morning, local authorities say.
Debbie Moyse, manager at the Cozy Cafe in Playa de Las Americas, added: ‘I reckon I’m going to lose around 10,000 euros in food alone. ‘I’ve been in Tenerife for five years and have never heard of a blackout this size. The whole of the island has been hit. ‘The owner has been here for 20 years and it’s the first time he’s heard of a blackout on this scale either.’ Chloe Bambrick, who was staying in Adeje in the south of the island, tweeted tonight: ‘I’ve sat contemplating my life all day with no phone or electricity because the whole of Tenerife has had a power cut. ‘Eight hours later I’m still sitting in darkness and starving.’.
A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency services coordination centre said: ‘We attended 759 incidents because of the power cut between 1pm and 4pm. ‘They were mainly related to incidents involving lifts that had stopped working, alarms going off, opening of doors and other electrical incidents. ‘None of the essential public services, airports, ports and hospitals, have been affected.’
Massive Power Shutoffs to Begin Early Wednesday, PG&E Confirms | KQED
Due to high fire risk, PG&E announced power shutoffs that will affect 34 of California's 58 counties — including most of the Bay Area.
October 7 2019 Soundbite:
PG&E is warning residents across Northern and Central California of potential widespread power shutoffs later this week. The preemptive power shutoffs could come midweek amid concerns of high fire risk due to gusty winds and dry conditions.
The utility announced Monday that customers in 29 of the state's 58 counties could have their electricity cut between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon. The potential shutoffs could affect every county in the Bay Area except for San Francisco and Marin.
The shutoff warning is by far the largest the utility has issued since it began conducting public safety power shutoffs in 2018. The company could not immediately provide information on the total number of customers that could be affected by the electricity cuts.
PG&E's announcement comes amid warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS) of an extreme weather event in communities stretching across northern parts of the state, with some of the windiest conditions of the season starting late Tuesday.
In the Bay Area, the NWS issued a fire weather watch for the North and East Bay hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the North and East Bay valleys from late Tuesday night through Thursday.
The agency said in a news release that "strong and gusty offshore winds" combined with "very poor overnight humidity" are likely to make conditions ripe for wildfire.
"This time of year is typically when the fuels — the grass, the trees, things that burn — are typically the driest," said NWS meteorologist Steve Anderson. "And with the dry air, that just sucks any remaining moisture out of the fuels and makes them much more readily able to catch fire."
The NWS is expecting to upgrade the fire weather watch alert to a red flag warning for Wednesday morning through Thursday, according to Anderson.
The extreme wind will likely peak Wednesday night through early Thursday morning, with gusts of 45 to 55 mph in the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills.
Counties that may be affected by the shutoffs include: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.
A previous red flag warning prompted PG&E to cut power to more than 10,000 customers in the Sierra Nevada foothills this past Saturday evening. Power was restored to all of those customers on Sunday afternoon, but many of them could be affected again later this week.
Preemptive shutoffs are part of PG&E's state-mandated wildfire mitigation plan, which aims to cut down on the potential of igniting a fire during high risk periods. You can check PG&E's website and sign up to be notified if the power will be turned off in your area.
Monday's announcement came almost two years after the start of the deadly North Bay fires in which 44 were killed. Since then, fires caused by electrical equipment have killed more than 130 people and burned more than 20,000 homes statewide.
PG&E's equipment has been found responsible for starting the most devastating wildfire in modern California history — last November's Camp Fire in Butte County, which killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 14,000 homes.
This is beginning to look more like a test run, perhaps for "Something Wicked Comes There Way"
www.eastbaytimes.com
PUBLISHED: October 8, 2019 at 7:17 am | UPDATED: October 8, 2019 at 11:01 am
As possible power shutoffs loom across much of the Bay Area, cities are preparing to help thousands of residents survive without power for up to seven days.
Utility PG&E issued shutoff warnings on Monday that could affect an estimated 600,000 PG&E customers, including about 257,000 in the Bay Area, starting early Wednesday morning. The warnings come on the heels of a “strong and dry wind event” that has increased the risk of wildfire midweek, the utility said.
That’s left cities readying for a power shutoff that may affect thousands of residents for days at a time.
“If this is a short power shutoff, it shouldn’t be serious at all,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in an interview with this news organization on Monday. “On the other hand, if it lasts several days, then we should all be concerned.”
Various cities in the South Bay, including San Jose, Fremont and Los Altos, have kept residents up-to-date with a stream of Twitter, Facebook and Nixle posts, plus website updates.
But it’s still not entirely clear which areas, among the swath of warnings, may ultimately be affected by the shutoff, or for how long. The city of San Jose will receive an update from PG&E at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Kate Ziemba, and the city will provide more information about potential school district closures later today.
Starting Wednesday, Ziemba said, PG&E will open a resource center at Avaya Stadium at 1145 Coleman Ave. from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the duration of the shutoff. The center will provide water, charging stations, air conditioning and up-to-date information.
The city will continue to provide police and fire services through any shutoff, Ziemba said, but asks that residents call 911 only for emergencies, not for information.
In Oakland, off days for the city’s more than 750 police officers will be canceled starting Wednesday through the duration of any possible shutoff, said Johnna Watson, public information officer.
Traffic officers will be stationed at busy intersections to direct cars through non-functioning lights, with patrols increased throughout the city. Oakland is in “constant communication” with the utility today and asks that Oakland residents sign up for AC Alert for updates, Watson said.
Meanwhile, staff in Fremont plan to to receive updates directly from the utility at 11 a.m., said the city’s public affairs manager Geneva Bosques. Officials have so far been informed of possible shutoffs in the northeast portion of Fremont, including the Niles Canyon area.
“Right now, what we’re recommending is that everyone sign up for Nixle … to make sure that everyone has access to emergency communication channel,” Bosques said, adding that residents should check in on elderly neighbors and people who may not use social media.
To prepare for the shutoff, residents should sign up for to receive alerts from PG&E at www.pge.com/psps, take refrigerated medicine or food to a friend or relative, and prepare an emergency kit with one gallon of water per day for each person and pet, non-perishable or canned food for 7 days and can opener, a battery- or solar-powered radio, batteries, a first aid kid and backup batteries.
As of Tuesday morning, the list of possible shutoffs includes sections of the following communities:
Meanwhile:
PG&E will shut down power for 800,000 customers as fire danger peaks
PG&E confirmed that it will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff in portions of 34 northern, central and coastal counties, affecting electric service for nearly 800,000 customers, the utilit…
www.eastbaytimes.com
PUBLISHED: October 8, 2019 at 7:17 am | UPDATED: October 8, 2019 at 11:01 am
As possible power shutoffs loom across much of the Bay Area, cities are preparing to help thousands of residents survive without power for up to seven days.
Utility PG&E issued shutoff warnings on Monday that could affect an estimated 600,000 PG&E customers, including about 257,000 in the Bay Area, starting early Wednesday morning. The warnings come on the heels of a “strong and dry wind event” that has increased the risk of wildfire midweek, the utility said.
That’s left cities readying for a power shutoff that may affect thousands of residents for days at a time.
“If this is a short power shutoff, it shouldn’t be serious at all,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in an interview with this news organization on Monday. “On the other hand, if it lasts several days, then we should all be concerned.”
Various cities in the South Bay, including San Jose, Fremont and Los Altos, have kept residents up-to-date with a stream of Twitter, Facebook and Nixle posts, plus website updates.
But it’s still not entirely clear which areas, among the swath of warnings, may ultimately be affected by the shutoff, or for how long. The city of San Jose will receive an update from PG&E at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Kate Ziemba, and the city will provide more information about potential school district closures later today.
Starting Wednesday, Ziemba said, PG&E will open a resource center at Avaya Stadium at 1145 Coleman Ave. from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the duration of the shutoff. The center will provide water, charging stations, air conditioning and up-to-date information.
The city will continue to provide police and fire services through any shutoff, Ziemba said, but asks that residents call 911 only for emergencies, not for information.
In Oakland, off days for the city’s more than 750 police officers will be canceled starting Wednesday through the duration of any possible shutoff, said Johnna Watson, public information officer.
Traffic officers will be stationed at busy intersections to direct cars through non-functioning lights, with patrols increased throughout the city. Oakland is in “constant communication” with the utility today and asks that Oakland residents sign up for AC Alert for updates, Watson said.
Meanwhile, staff in Fremont plan to to receive updates directly from the utility at 11 a.m., said the city’s public affairs manager Geneva Bosques. Officials have so far been informed of possible shutoffs in the northeast portion of Fremont, including the Niles Canyon area.
“Right now, what we’re recommending is that everyone sign up for Nixle … to make sure that everyone has access to emergency communication channel,” Bosques said, adding that residents should check in on elderly neighbors and people who may not use social media.
To prepare for the shutoff, residents should sign up for to receive alerts from PG&E at www.pge.com/psps, take refrigerated medicine or food to a friend or relative, and prepare an emergency kit with one gallon of water per day for each person and pet, non-perishable or canned food for 7 days and can opener, a battery- or solar-powered radio, batteries, a first aid kid and backup batteries.
As of Tuesday morning, the list of possible shutoffs includes sections of the following communities:
- Santa Clara County: San Jose, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Redwood Estates, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Coyote, Gilroy, Mount Hamilton, Palo Alto, Holy City. 38,123 customers.
- Alameda County: Oakland, Castro Valley, Fremont, Union City, Berkeley, Hayward, San Leandro, Sunol, Pleasanton, Livermore. 32,613 customers.
- Contra Costa County: San Ramon, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Pinole, Richmond, Kensington, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Berkeley, Canyon, San Pablo, Pittsburg, Rodeo, Concord, Albany, Antioch, Martinez. 40,219 customers.
- Sonoma County: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Glen Ellen, Penngrove, Geyserville, Kenwood, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Annapolis, Stewarts Point, Cotati, Cazadero, Guerneville, Larkfield, El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs, Fulton, Bodega Bay. 66,289 customers.
- Napa County: Napa, Saint Helena, Calistoga, Angwin, Pope Valley, Rutherford, Oakville, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Yountville, American Canyon. 32,124 customers.
- San Mateo County: Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Woodside, Moss Beach, Montara, Portola Valley, Pescadero, La Honda, Redwood City, San Gregorio, Loma Mar, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Emerald Hills, Pacifica, Princeton. 14,766 customers.
- Solano County: Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo, Dixon. 32,862 customers.
Meanwhile:
Update:
OAKLAND, Calif. - Most of the Bay Area along with other Northern counties are bracing for widespread outages after Pacific Gas and Electric warned of power shutoffs as weather conditions intensify.
In anticipation of dry weather and gusty winds, the National Weather Service activated a Fire Weather Watch that takes effect on Wednesday morning and lasts through Thursday afternoon.
PG&E says it will proactively turn off power to nearly 800,000 customers across Northern and Central California due to heightened fire risk. The shutoffs will begin early Wednesday in some areas, just after midnight.
The plan is to perform the shutoffs in stages, depending on the timing of the severe wind conditions, beginning with counties in the northern part of the state and moving south.
Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations, said in a news release: “The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public’s patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfires."
Thehigh-volume of traffic on the utility's website caused it to crash with customers looking for information on the power shutoffs. Residents are urged to enroll in zip code alerts by calling 1-877-9000-PGE to get notifications on outages as they occur. Alerts will be delivered via automated call. PG&E customers can also sign up for text alerts, just text "ENROLL" to 97633.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said the city plans to activate an emergency readiness center, but did not confirm any planned shutoffs in the South Bay. In a news conference, the mayor alluded to power shutoffs possibly lasting up to seven days in the South Bay.
He advised in the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that people should shelter in place and motorists should stay off roads because traffic signals would not be operating in affected areas.
These counties may be impacted by PG&E power shutoff:
(* indicates new counties added)
Alameda: Oakland, Castro Valley, Fremont, Union City, Berkeley, Hayward, San Leandro, Sunol, Pleasanton, Livermore
Impact: 32,680 customers
School Closures
-Oakland Unified School District says should a shutoff occur several schools will be closed. Those schools include: Grass Valley Elementary School, Howard Elementary, Parker Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Fruitvale Elementary, Elmhurst United Middle School, Montclair Middle School, Bret Harte Middle School, Skyline High School, Sojourner Truth, Rusdale High School and Bay Tech Charter School. Parents will be notified by 8 p.m. if schools on the list will be closed.
-All San Leandro Unified schools will close Wednesday. If outages last beyond Wednesday, school officials will notify parents of further closures. Notifications will be sent and posted prior to noon on the day prior
-Niles Elementary and Vallejo Mill Elementary are the only Fremont Unified School District schools listed as impacted by possible outages. However, there are no plans for school closures at this time.
-UC Berkeley canceled classes on Wednesday but says the campus will remain open though services will be limited
Alpine: Bear Valley
Impact: 633 customers
Amador: Pioneer, Jackson, Sutter Creek, Pine Grove, Plymouth, Volcano, Fiddletown, River Pines, Amador City, Drytown, Martell, Lone, West Point
Impact: 16,041 customers
Butte: Oroville, Chico, Magalia, Paradise, Berry Creek, Forest Ranch, Palermo, Bangor, Cohasset, Butte Meadows, Clipper Mills, Forbestown, Stirling City, Feather Falls, Biggs, Brush Creek, Yankee Hill, Gridley, Rackerby, Butte Valley, Hurleton, Paradise Pines.
Impact: 29,907 customers
Calaveras: Arnold, Angels Camp, Copperopolis, Murphys, San Andreas, West Point, Mountain Ranch, Mokelumne Hill, Rail Road Flat, Vallecito, Wilseyville, Hathaway Pines, Avery, Glencoe, Douglas Flat, Sheep Ranch, White Pines, Dorrington, Camp Connell, Tamarack, Altaville, Valley Springs, Farmington
Impact: 23,708 customers
Colusa: Arbuckle, Stonyford, Williams, Sites, Maxwell
Impact: 1,813 customers
Contra Costa: San Ramon, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Pinole, Richmond, Kensington, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Berkeley, Canyon, San Pablo, Pittsburg, Rodeo, Concord, Albany, Antioch, Martinez
Impact: 51,310 customers
El Dorado: Placerville, El Dorado Hills, Pollock Pines, Cameron Park, Camino, Rescue, El Dorado, Somerset, Shingle Springs, Georgetown, Garden Valley, Diamond Springs, Pilot Hill, Grizzly Flats, Twin Bridges, Greenwood, Kyburz, Lotus, Kelsey, Mount Aukum, Coloma, Pacific House, Fair Play, Omo Ranch, Silver Fork, Aukum, Strawberry, Pioneer
Impact: 51,396
Glenn: Orland, Willows, Artois, Elk Creek, Glenn, Stonyford
Impact: 1,590
*Humboldt: Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Fortuna, Ferndale, Rio Dell, Trinidad, Garberville, Willow Creek, Hoopa, Redway, Blue Lake, Loleta, Bayside, Hydesville, Carlotta, Scotia, Miranda, Kneeland, Orleans, Myers Flat, Orick, Petrolia, Redcrest, Whitethorn, Weott, Alderpoint, Phillpsville, Samoa, Weitchpec, Honeydew, Fieldbrook, Korbel, Blocksburg, Alton, Fernbridge, Manila, Piercy, Somes Bar, Zenia, Fairhaven, Ettersburg, Fort Seward, Fields Landing, Westhaven, Salyer, Maple Creek, Burnt Ranch, Big Lagoon
Impact: 62,393
*Kern: Bakersfield, Arvin, Buttonwillow, Dustin Acres, Edison, Fellows, Lamont, Lebec, Maricopa, Maricopa, McFarland, McKittrick, Mettler Station, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Tupman, Valley Acres, Wasco
Impact: 42,374
Lake: Clearlake, Lakeport, Clearlake Oaks, Lucerne, Nice, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Middletown, Kelseyville, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, Glenhaven, Witter Springs, Clearlake Park, Loch Lomond, Finley
Impact: 37,439 customers
Mariposa: Coulterville, La Grange, Greeley Hill, Mariposa
Impact: 1,812 customers
*Marin: Bolinas, Fairfax, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Olema, Sausalito, Stinson Beach
Impact: 9,855 customers
Mendocino: Ukiah, Potter Valley, Hopland, Redwood Valley, Boonville, Calpella, Talmage, Garberville, Leggett, Cloverdale, Piercy, Westport
Impact: 6,476
Napa: American Canyon, Napa, Saint Helena, Calistoga, Angwin, Pope Valley, Rutherford, Oakville, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Yountville, American Canyon
Impact: 32,124 customers
School Closures
The Napa Valley Unified School District plans to close all schools on Wednesday and Thursday. That includes schools in Napa, Yountville, and American Canyon.
Nevada: Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, North San Juan, Washington, Norden, Chicago Park, Cedar Ridge, Truckee, Kingvale
Impact: 43,217 customers
Placer
Plumas
San Joaquin
San Mateo: Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Woodside, Moss Beach, Montara, Portola Valley, Pescadero, La Honda, Redwood City, San Gregorio, Loma Mar, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Emerald Hills, Pacifica, Princeton
Impact: 14,766 customers
Santa Clara: San Jose, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Redwood Estates, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Coyote, Gilroy, Mount Hamilton, Palo Alto, Holy City
Impact: 38,123 customers
School Closures
All schools in Alum Rock Union School District are closed Wednesday and Thursday for planned power outages.
Santa Cruz: Aptos, Boulder Creek, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Ben Lomond, Felton, Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, Mount Hermon, Brookdale, Davenport, Capitola, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Saratoga, Bonny Doon
Impact: 32,017
Shasta
Sierra
Solano: Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo, Dixon
Impact: 32,863
Sonoma: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Glen Ellen, Penngrove, Geyserville, Kenwood, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Annapolis, Stewarts Point, Cotati, Cazadero, Guerneville, Larkfield, El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs, Fulton, Bodega Bay
Impact: 66,289 customers
School Closures
Maria Carrillo High, Rincon Valley Middle, Santa Rosa Middle, Hidden Valley Elementary, Proctor Terrace Elementary, Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter School, Lewis Education Center
Stanislaus: Westley, Grayson, Patterson, Oakdale, Knights Ferry, Modesto, Riverbank
Impact: 1,088 customers
Tehama: Red Bluff, Los Molinos, Gerber, Corning, Mineral, Paynes Creek, Manton, Vina, Tehama, Mill Creek, Paskenta, Proberta, Flournoy, Cottonwood, Chico, Orland, Anderson
Impact: 24,385 customers
*Trinity: Burnt Ranch, Del Loma, Garberville, Hawkins Bar, Kettenporm, Platina, Salyer, Wildwood, Willow Creek, Zenia
Impact: 1,047 customers
Tuolumne: Sonora, Groveland, Twain Harte, Jamestown, Tuolumne Mi Wuk Village, Pinecrest, Columbia, Soulsbyville, Long Barn, Strawberry, Chinese Camp, Cold Springs, Moccasin, Big Oak Flat, Sierra Village, La Grange, Coulterville, Sugar Pine
Im[act: 34,413
Yolo: Winter, Esparto, Guinda, Capay, Brooks, Madison, Rumsey, West Sacramento
Impact: 5,792 customers
Yuba: Marysville, Browns Valley, Oregon House, Brownsville, Wheatland, Dobbins, Camptonville, Smartville, Challenge, Rackerby, Strawberry Valley, Loma Rica. Forbestown, Clipper Mills, Bangor, La Porte, North San Juan
Impact: 6,919 customers
Getting Around during a massive outage
Caltrans said its preparing for full closures of the Caldecott Tunnel in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties on State Route 24 and the Lantos
Tunnel along State Route 1 in Pacifica Tuesday night. The agency says the tunnels cannot operate without power.
Motorists should treat unpowered intersections as a four-way stop.
List will be updated when PG&E's website becomes available
OAKLAND, Calif. - Most of the Bay Area along with other Northern counties are bracing for widespread outages after Pacific Gas and Electric warned of power shutoffs as weather conditions intensify.
In anticipation of dry weather and gusty winds, the National Weather Service activated a Fire Weather Watch that takes effect on Wednesday morning and lasts through Thursday afternoon.
PG&E says it will proactively turn off power to nearly 800,000 customers across Northern and Central California due to heightened fire risk. The shutoffs will begin early Wednesday in some areas, just after midnight.
The plan is to perform the shutoffs in stages, depending on the timing of the severe wind conditions, beginning with counties in the northern part of the state and moving south.
Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations, said in a news release: “The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public’s patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfires."
Thehigh-volume of traffic on the utility's website caused it to crash with customers looking for information on the power shutoffs. Residents are urged to enroll in zip code alerts by calling 1-877-9000-PGE to get notifications on outages as they occur. Alerts will be delivered via automated call. PG&E customers can also sign up for text alerts, just text "ENROLL" to 97633.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said the city plans to activate an emergency readiness center, but did not confirm any planned shutoffs in the South Bay. In a news conference, the mayor alluded to power shutoffs possibly lasting up to seven days in the South Bay.
He advised in the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that people should shelter in place and motorists should stay off roads because traffic signals would not be operating in affected areas.
These counties may be impacted by PG&E power shutoff:
(* indicates new counties added)
Alameda: Oakland, Castro Valley, Fremont, Union City, Berkeley, Hayward, San Leandro, Sunol, Pleasanton, Livermore
Impact: 32,680 customers
School Closures
-Oakland Unified School District says should a shutoff occur several schools will be closed. Those schools include: Grass Valley Elementary School, Howard Elementary, Parker Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Fruitvale Elementary, Elmhurst United Middle School, Montclair Middle School, Bret Harte Middle School, Skyline High School, Sojourner Truth, Rusdale High School and Bay Tech Charter School. Parents will be notified by 8 p.m. if schools on the list will be closed.
-All San Leandro Unified schools will close Wednesday. If outages last beyond Wednesday, school officials will notify parents of further closures. Notifications will be sent and posted prior to noon on the day prior
-Niles Elementary and Vallejo Mill Elementary are the only Fremont Unified School District schools listed as impacted by possible outages. However, there are no plans for school closures at this time.
-UC Berkeley canceled classes on Wednesday but says the campus will remain open though services will be limited
Alpine: Bear Valley
Impact: 633 customers
Amador: Pioneer, Jackson, Sutter Creek, Pine Grove, Plymouth, Volcano, Fiddletown, River Pines, Amador City, Drytown, Martell, Lone, West Point
Impact: 16,041 customers
Butte: Oroville, Chico, Magalia, Paradise, Berry Creek, Forest Ranch, Palermo, Bangor, Cohasset, Butte Meadows, Clipper Mills, Forbestown, Stirling City, Feather Falls, Biggs, Brush Creek, Yankee Hill, Gridley, Rackerby, Butte Valley, Hurleton, Paradise Pines.
Impact: 29,907 customers
Calaveras: Arnold, Angels Camp, Copperopolis, Murphys, San Andreas, West Point, Mountain Ranch, Mokelumne Hill, Rail Road Flat, Vallecito, Wilseyville, Hathaway Pines, Avery, Glencoe, Douglas Flat, Sheep Ranch, White Pines, Dorrington, Camp Connell, Tamarack, Altaville, Valley Springs, Farmington
Impact: 23,708 customers
Colusa: Arbuckle, Stonyford, Williams, Sites, Maxwell
Impact: 1,813 customers
Contra Costa: San Ramon, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Pinole, Richmond, Kensington, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Berkeley, Canyon, San Pablo, Pittsburg, Rodeo, Concord, Albany, Antioch, Martinez
Impact: 51,310 customers
El Dorado: Placerville, El Dorado Hills, Pollock Pines, Cameron Park, Camino, Rescue, El Dorado, Somerset, Shingle Springs, Georgetown, Garden Valley, Diamond Springs, Pilot Hill, Grizzly Flats, Twin Bridges, Greenwood, Kyburz, Lotus, Kelsey, Mount Aukum, Coloma, Pacific House, Fair Play, Omo Ranch, Silver Fork, Aukum, Strawberry, Pioneer
Impact: 51,396
Glenn: Orland, Willows, Artois, Elk Creek, Glenn, Stonyford
Impact: 1,590
*Humboldt: Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Fortuna, Ferndale, Rio Dell, Trinidad, Garberville, Willow Creek, Hoopa, Redway, Blue Lake, Loleta, Bayside, Hydesville, Carlotta, Scotia, Miranda, Kneeland, Orleans, Myers Flat, Orick, Petrolia, Redcrest, Whitethorn, Weott, Alderpoint, Phillpsville, Samoa, Weitchpec, Honeydew, Fieldbrook, Korbel, Blocksburg, Alton, Fernbridge, Manila, Piercy, Somes Bar, Zenia, Fairhaven, Ettersburg, Fort Seward, Fields Landing, Westhaven, Salyer, Maple Creek, Burnt Ranch, Big Lagoon
Impact: 62,393
*Kern: Bakersfield, Arvin, Buttonwillow, Dustin Acres, Edison, Fellows, Lamont, Lebec, Maricopa, Maricopa, McFarland, McKittrick, Mettler Station, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Tupman, Valley Acres, Wasco
Impact: 42,374
Lake: Clearlake, Lakeport, Clearlake Oaks, Lucerne, Nice, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Middletown, Kelseyville, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, Glenhaven, Witter Springs, Clearlake Park, Loch Lomond, Finley
Impact: 37,439 customers
Mariposa: Coulterville, La Grange, Greeley Hill, Mariposa
Impact: 1,812 customers
*Marin: Bolinas, Fairfax, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Olema, Sausalito, Stinson Beach
Impact: 9,855 customers
Mendocino: Ukiah, Potter Valley, Hopland, Redwood Valley, Boonville, Calpella, Talmage, Garberville, Leggett, Cloverdale, Piercy, Westport
Impact: 6,476
Napa: American Canyon, Napa, Saint Helena, Calistoga, Angwin, Pope Valley, Rutherford, Oakville, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Yountville, American Canyon
Impact: 32,124 customers
School Closures
The Napa Valley Unified School District plans to close all schools on Wednesday and Thursday. That includes schools in Napa, Yountville, and American Canyon.
Nevada: Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, North San Juan, Washington, Norden, Chicago Park, Cedar Ridge, Truckee, Kingvale
Impact: 43,217 customers
Placer
Plumas
San Joaquin
San Mateo: Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Woodside, Moss Beach, Montara, Portola Valley, Pescadero, La Honda, Redwood City, San Gregorio, Loma Mar, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Emerald Hills, Pacifica, Princeton
Impact: 14,766 customers
Santa Clara: San Jose, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Redwood Estates, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Coyote, Gilroy, Mount Hamilton, Palo Alto, Holy City
Impact: 38,123 customers
School Closures
All schools in Alum Rock Union School District are closed Wednesday and Thursday for planned power outages.
Santa Cruz: Aptos, Boulder Creek, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Ben Lomond, Felton, Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, Mount Hermon, Brookdale, Davenport, Capitola, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Saratoga, Bonny Doon
Impact: 32,017
Shasta
Sierra
Solano: Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo, Dixon
Impact: 32,863
Sonoma: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Glen Ellen, Penngrove, Geyserville, Kenwood, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Annapolis, Stewarts Point, Cotati, Cazadero, Guerneville, Larkfield, El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs, Fulton, Bodega Bay
Impact: 66,289 customers
School Closures
Maria Carrillo High, Rincon Valley Middle, Santa Rosa Middle, Hidden Valley Elementary, Proctor Terrace Elementary, Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter School, Lewis Education Center
Stanislaus: Westley, Grayson, Patterson, Oakdale, Knights Ferry, Modesto, Riverbank
Impact: 1,088 customers
Tehama: Red Bluff, Los Molinos, Gerber, Corning, Mineral, Paynes Creek, Manton, Vina, Tehama, Mill Creek, Paskenta, Proberta, Flournoy, Cottonwood, Chico, Orland, Anderson
Impact: 24,385 customers
*Trinity: Burnt Ranch, Del Loma, Garberville, Hawkins Bar, Kettenporm, Platina, Salyer, Wildwood, Willow Creek, Zenia
Impact: 1,047 customers
Tuolumne: Sonora, Groveland, Twain Harte, Jamestown, Tuolumne Mi Wuk Village, Pinecrest, Columbia, Soulsbyville, Long Barn, Strawberry, Chinese Camp, Cold Springs, Moccasin, Big Oak Flat, Sierra Village, La Grange, Coulterville, Sugar Pine
Im[act: 34,413
Yolo: Winter, Esparto, Guinda, Capay, Brooks, Madison, Rumsey, West Sacramento
Impact: 5,792 customers
Yuba: Marysville, Browns Valley, Oregon House, Brownsville, Wheatland, Dobbins, Camptonville, Smartville, Challenge, Rackerby, Strawberry Valley, Loma Rica. Forbestown, Clipper Mills, Bangor, La Porte, North San Juan
Impact: 6,919 customers
Getting Around during a massive outage
Caltrans said its preparing for full closures of the Caldecott Tunnel in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties on State Route 24 and the Lantos
Tunnel along State Route 1 in Pacifica Tuesday night. The agency says the tunnels cannot operate without power.
Motorists should treat unpowered intersections as a four-way stop.
List will be updated when PG&E's website becomes available
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