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Thousands of residents in the Peninsula are spending Christmas Day without power, after the second wave of heavy rain and strong winds moved through California on Christmas Eve — many in the dark on when power will return. Currently, outages are largely impacting homes in Woodside, Redwood City, Portola Valley.
PG&E’s outage map reports that 9,594 customers are experiencing an outage as of 10 a.m. PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian explained that the adverse weather conditions can result in “trees, tree limbs and other debris to fall into powerlines, damaging equipment and interrupting electric service.”
More than a dozen fallen trees were cleared overnight across San Mateo County. First responders also responded to multiple calls about pole fires, downed wires, flooding and traffic collisions.
In Redwood City and Emerald Lake Hills, over 1,200 residents are out of power. Some areas are expected to have power return around 11 p.m. after an outage occurred nearly 24 hours prior on Christmas Eve. Other neighborhoods have yet to hear back on when power will be restored. Some have been out of power since 7:30 p.m.
Six hundred Portola Valley residents lost electricity as early as 1:28 a.m. and have not received any updates on estimated restoration time or progress in repairs. Neighborhoods impacted include Central Portola Valley, Westridge and Brookside Park
There are currently 192 Woodside homes without power and more than 500 in unincorporated Woodside near Kings Mountain and Highway 84. Some homes in the Woodside Hills neighborhood have not had power since 7:29 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Although the PG&E outage map states that the crew is working on restoring power, residents have not been updated on when.
On Dec. 24, Sarkissian told this news organisation that it had “more than 5,500 coworkers and contract coworkers ready to respond” to the many outages across its coverage area.
“PG&E crews work 24/7 and will be working over the holidays to support customers, including any storm-related outages,” said Sarkissian in an email. “PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center in Vacaville as well as regional and local storm rooms, and has positioned additional crews where storm impact is expected to be most severe.”
Around 3 a.m., a flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Services to San Mateo, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Mateo and neighboring jurisdictions. The warning alerted the public of a “dangerous and life threatening situation” and advised them not to travel unless fleeing from a flooded area or under an evacuation order. The warning was in effect until 5:15-6:15 a.m.
PG&E has helped its customers by delivering 300 grab-and-go bags to impacted families in San Mateo County. The organization advises customers to call 211 to get access to support services in your local community.
PG&E provided various tips for storm safety:
- 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 1-800-743-5002.
- 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 powerlines. 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 cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps keep your cell phone 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 powerlines.
- 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.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
