Massive Power Outage Planned for Northern California: Over 800,000 PG&E Customers Affected
PG&E has announced that it will preemptively cut power for more than 800,000 customers across 34 counties in Northern California starting just after midnight.
Sumeet Singh, the PG&E exec in charge of the company’s wildfire safety program, told me the company is shutting off some of its high voltage transmission lines — up to 115,000 volts. That’s the kind of line that started the #CampFire last year.
Cc #energytwitter pic.twitter.com/KR8UY5ZQJz
— J.D. Morris (@thejdmorris) October 9, 2019
The blame is reportedly attributable to winds that may be cause direct damage as well as flame up fires.
Power may not be fully restored until Monday or Tuesday. The company will have to inspect all their lines for damage — like trees and broken poles that could start a fire when the lines turned back on — before restoring.
Caltrans plans to close all four bores of the Caldecott Tunnel for as long as five days due to PGE Shutoff.
Power in areas impacted under PG&E’s #PSPS in Alameda County is not expected to be turned off until noon on Wednesday. Power is expected to remain overnight.
JUST IN: Power in areas impacted under PG&E's #PSPS in Alameda County is not expected to be turned off until noon on Wednesday. Power is expected to remain overnight. https://t.co/HCmfj6Zgz9
— Jesse Arreguin (@JesseArreguin) October 9, 2019
UC Berkeley campus update: Classes will be canceled on Wednesday due to expected campus power loss. The campus, however, will remain open, though services will be limited. 🔋🔌
During a power outage, do not open your refrigerator or freezer door unless it's necessary. A refrigerator will usually keep food cold up to 4 hours and a full freezer will keep its temperature for about 48 hours, if the freezer & refrigerator doors are kept closed. @PGE4Me #PSPS pic.twitter.com/h8nbBSmHT0
— Santa Clara County (@SCCgov) October 8, 2019
“The idea of 5 days without electricity is devastation, and we fully expect that to be a worst-case scenario,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says.
Supermarkets and gas stations are seeing a surge of locals coming by to stock up on supplies.