LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric on Sunday began a public safety power shutoff in response to the biggest wind event of the season, an action that’s impacting hundreds of thousands of residents across portions of 36 counties.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning that covers most of California due to the winds now working their way across the state.
Red flag warnings are a factor that PG&E considers in determining whether to use public safety power shutoffs, or PSPS, to reduce fire danger.
PG&E’s shutoff, which began on Sunday afternoon, is impacting 361,000 customers in targeted portions of Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba counties, PG&E reported.
Due to changing weather conditions, 105,000 customers who previously had been notified that their power could be turned off were removed from the shutoff’s scope, the company said.
In Lake County, 21,621 customers are included in the shutoff, including 1,572 customers in the Medical Baseline program. Earlier on Sunday, PG&E had removed about 5,000 county customers from the scope, including portions of the Northshore.
By 6 p.m. Sunday, PG&E said it had cut power to 225,000 of its customers, with another 136,000 to lose power during the course of the evening.
PG&E Senior Meteorologist Scott Strenfel said an ultra-dry air mass is washing across the state and that, as of Sunday evening, the region is entering the most critical period of the wind event.
In the North Bay hills, 53-mile-per-hour gusts have been recorded while relative humidity is at 15 percent. Gusts are forecast to be as high as 70 miles per hour, he said.
Strenfel said they believe a second round of winds could hit late Monday and into Tuesday over the region’s elevated terrain.
He said all agencies monitoring the winds – including the National Weather Service – agree that this will be the strongest event of the season, he said.
Strenfel said the forecast for the next 10 days shows no rain, but at the same time it doesn’t show a return of offshore diablo wind events. He said relative humidity is expected to begin to taper up in the coming days.
PG&E said it expects to see an all clear about midday on Monday, with plans to restore power in stages from Monday night through Tuesday night, safety permitting. Before restoring power, crews will inspect equipment for potential damage from the windstorm.
PG&E has opened seven community resource centers in Lake County, where people can get snacks and water, access wifi, charge devices and have access to ADA-accessible bathrooms. They’re open until 10 p.m. Sunday and will be open at 8 a.m. on Monday.
The centers are at the following locations:
– Clearlake Senior Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.
– Mountain High Coffee, 16295 Highway 175, Cobb.
– Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Red Hills Property, 7130 Red Hills Road, Kelseyville.
– Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, Lakeport.
– Twin Pine Casino and Hotel, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.
– Community Baptist Church, 2877 State Highway 20, Nice.
– Upper Lake Middle School, 725 Old Lucerne Road.
For additional information, visit PG&E’s website.
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PG&E moves forward with power shutoff across portions of 36 counties
- Elizabeth Larson
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