PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) currently in Santa Cruz County
CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) -- PG&E announced Wednesday that Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties may see power shutoffs Friday and Saturday as a result of dry and windy conditions.
Now, parts of Santa Cruz County are experiencing a PSPS.
Affected customers in the Santa Cruz County area can visit one of PG&E's resource centers listed below. Different locations offer different services.
Faith Lutheran Church, 16548 Ferris AveLos Gatos, CA 95032
Hours of Operation: 10/18: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location Type: Outdoor
Available resources:
- ADA-accessible restroom and washing station
- Blankets, snacks and water
- Device charging
- Small medical device charging
- Seating
- Wi-Fi
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 6401 Freedom Blvd, Aptos, CA 95003
Hours of Operation: 10/18: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location Type: Outdoor
Available resources:
- ADA-accessible restroom and washing station
- Blankets, snacks and water
- Device charging
- Small medical device charging
- Air-conditioning/heating
- Seating
- Wi-Fi
- Ice
PG&E says that a potential wind event around 1 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday afternoon in some locations, has created the need for some power shut off advanced notifications to customers in targeted areas. They say it's to reduce the risk of wildfire and the duration of the outages will depend on weather in affected areas.
According to PG&E, approximately 20,000 customers total may experience Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
Here is a list of the local counties who may be affected:
- Monterey County: 597 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
- San Benito County: 24 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
- Santa Clara County: 663 customers, 41 Medical Baseline customers
- Santa Cruz County: 132 customers, 8 Medical Baseline customers
Winds in Santa Cruz are expected to peak overnight Thursday night into Friday, with a peak early Friday morning, according to KION's Chief Meteorologist Dann Cianca.
Keep updated with local weather conditions by sticking with KION's Weather Authority.
More resources for PG&E customers affected in a potential outage include Community Resource Centers where community members can access resources:
"Water, snacks, blankets, ADA-accessible restrooms and other essential items to reduce
hardships to our customers," said PG&E. So they've opened dozens of Community Resource Centers to help customers between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Monterey County:
- Salinas Valley Fairgrounds
- San Antonio Union School
Santa Clara County:
- Mayfair Community Center
- Morgan Hill Library
- Faith Lutheran Church
For a full list of available CRCs, please visit pge.com/crc.
Some suggestions for how to handle power outages from PG&E:
- Use a cell phone or hard-wired phone. Cordless phones do not work without electricity.
- Use battery-operated flashlights, not candles, which may pose a fire hazard.
- Unplug or turn off all electric and heat-producing appliances (e.g., air conditioners, washers and dryers, ovens, stoves, irons) to avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits can be a fire hazard once power is restored.
- Unplug televisions and computers that were in use when the power went out.
- Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and place extra containers of ice inside to preserve food. A full freezer will remain colder longer.
- Notify your alarm company if you have an alarm system. Equipment can be affected by outages.
- Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
- Reset clocks, thermostats and other programmed equipment after power is restored.
Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
