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Update: As of 7:45 p.m. on Monday night, Feb. 5, power has been restored for most customers in the area, but some households are still without power.
Sunday’s storm hit the Peninsula hard, with The National Weather Service going so far as to issue a brief tornado warning on Feb. 4, according to Bay City News Service. Power is not expected to be restored in some parts of the area until 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.
Winds have reached up to 50 mph. By 7 p.m. on Sunday, nearly 400,000 PG&E customers were without power in the Bay Area as fallen trees and high winds wreak havoc on the grid. Some 81,647 of those customers live on the Peninsula.
The NWS issued the tornado warning at 2:49 p.m. on Sunday, noting that there was a small chance of an isolated damaging gust or brief tornado occurring on the Peninsula, from San Francisco down to Monterey, on Sunday afternoon.
Outages
The town of Atherton opened its Council Chambers Sunday night as a warming and charging station, providing a safe space for residents to stay warm and recharge devices. “Please bring your own charging cords and spread the word to those in need,” a town news alert stated.
As of 3:35 p.m., there were multiple power outages affecting at least 500 households or more in Menlo Park and Atherton, according to PG&E. In total, there are over 2,700 in the area without power. There are over 75,000 customers in San Mateo County and nearly 130,000 customers in Santa Clara County without power as of 5:24 p.m., according to PG&E.
As of 7:20 p.m., in Redwood City, the neighborhoods of Woodside Plaza, Emerald Hills, Mt. Carmel, Canyon, and Bair Island are without power. Parts of North Fair Oaks are also without power. Outages are affecting more than 10,000 PG&E Redwood City residents. Some estimates suggest restorations will occur on Monday.
PG&E estimates power will return to 1,010 residents near downtown Menlo Park at 6:38 p.m. on Sunday.
The outage was reported to PG&E at 2:36 p.m. PG&E’s preliminary determination is that the outage was caused by weather.
Visit PG&E’s Outage Center for updates.
Closures, traffic impacts
At 7:20 p.m., the Redwood City police department advised that residents avoid El Camino Real between James Avenue and Broadway due to an ongoing traffic incident.
As of 2:35 p.m. on Monday, traffic signals remain out in multiple places including on Marsh Road at Highway 101 and Bayfront, Willow Road from Middlefield Road to Bay Road and Laurel Street and Ravenswood Avenue, according to the city of Menlo Park.
If you encounter a signal that is out, please treat it as a four-way stop and obey the temporary signage, according to the city.
Atherton southbound El Camino Real lanes are closed due to downed power lines as of 4:47 p.m., according to SamTrans.
Highway 84 at Skywood Lane in Woodside is closed, according to Caltrans, because of weather conditions.
Highway 84 was closed in both directions at Friars Lane in Woodside because of downed power lines for about two hours, from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
The North Fair Oaks closed early Sunday because of an unexpected power outage, according to San Mateo County Libraries.
Downed trees, power lines
A pole fire was reported at 739 Valparaiso Ave. in Menlo Park around 3:15 p.m., but has been cleared, according to PulsePoint.
Menlo Park Public Works cleared 12 trees and repaired five fences on Feb. 4 and continue to clear debris on Monday, according to the city.
There are also reports of fallen trees and power lines in Woodside and Portola Valley on Sunday afternoon.
Safety tips
As the bad weather continues, PG&E gave customers are number of tips in dealing with their power being out:
• Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it, and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and then PG&E at 800-743-5002.
• Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
• Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
• Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellphone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cellphone running.
• Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage.
• Secure your outside furniture: Strong winds can blow lawn chairs and other outdoor items into power lines.
• Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
• Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
Charging stations on Monday
San Mateo County Libraries said the following branches will be open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. where people are welcome to charge their devices at:
- East Palo Alto Library, 2415 University Ave.
- North Fair Oaks Library, 2510 Middlefield Road in Redwood City
- Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane