Can northern Californians keep us updated as to power outages and how they are?
Asked by
janbb (
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October 8th, 2019
California power company is cutting power to much of the Bay Area for up to 5 days because high winds may cause fires. It’s a scary scenatio.
Please let us know how you are.
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49 Answers
According to the map, my house won’t be affected. But the edge is really close.
Five days is insane. I get that PG&E feels they have no option; their equipment has caused the deadliest fires in California’s history and people sue them when these fires hit, so they’re covering their ass.
Looks like power will likely be shut off in Portola Valley and Woodside. My parents are in Atherton (and me, since I’m here for a few days). Most likely nothing will be shut off here since the flat areas nearer the Bay are not the risk zones.
@Demosthenes That’s exactly my feeling as well. They’re dong it as a CYA.
@janbb Hospitals have their own emergency generators.
I was expecting to wake up with the power off, it was supposed to go out at midnight. But everything was on, and today they say to expect it off in the East Bay Hills at noon. Power is out in parts of Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties.
The biggest unknown is whether the tunnels to where I live will remain open or be shut down. That could really mess up the commute.
The area I’m in isn’t supposed to be affected. But PG&E site is down for most up-to-date information. The biggest concern is probably Caldecott Tunnel closure that @zenvelo mentioned.
@zenvelo: And then would you take a train to work? Because they need power, too, yes?
@jca2 I take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to work. But BART should not be affected, as it has its own power infrastructure that is separate from PG&E.
Yesterday I saw a BART train plow straight through a black billowing cloud of smoke and fire. (Fire in one of the Oakland homeless encampments.)
@janbb It’s not affecting our hospital. I am assuming that others are not affected as well. Hospitals have their own generation systems anyway.
It’s just after 6 pm and our power is still on, but we’ve been warned that it might go off at 8 p.m. Depends on if the winds pick up at sunset.
It is very odd in town, people getting food before dark quite a few small businesses, like my dry cleaner, did not open today. Traffic was lighter than usual, because people don’t want to get stuck somewhere or use up gas. Gas stations have been very busy because the pumps won’t work when things go dark.
@zenvelo Which town do you live in? I’m in Pleasant Hill. Some of Pleasant Hill is affected, but my area isn’t at risk. For some bizarre reason Lafayette and Walnut Creek are slated for being affected. My house is a greater risk of wildfires than theirs as I’m close to open space.
@zenvelo I’m about 20 minutes from you. If you come to Bonehead Texas BBQ Sunday November 3rd, there should be a bluegrass jam there. If there is, I’ll be one of the guys playing banjo. And if you’re really curious, this Sunday at about 4:30 my band is playing at Ocean View Brew Works in Albany
Wow, so many locals here. I was in Walnut Creek last week, visiting my grandparents. :D
@Caravanfan plays a banjo in a bluegrass band in Pleasant Hill? Tripping me out.
I also heard that several schools in Oakland are closing for a few days.
@raum I wouldn’t get too tripped out. We’re not that great of a band.
@Caravanfan I’ll put the third on my calendar!
Eight o’clock has passed, and the lights are still on.
@raum A friend of mine I work with play the banjo. One day another friend of ours was in the hospital, so he brought his bagpipe and I played the banjo. We played a duet. When we finished we asked if he wanted to hear another. He said, “No, thank you.”
FYI, @filmfan has been without power up in the Sierra foothills since midnight last night. And the house next door to him had a fire this evening, because a girl lit a candle and then went for a walk, leaving it unattended. Moderate damage, FD put it out.
I’ve met sevaral of you NoCal folks during my trips to the Bay Area. Maybe next time we can have at meet up at one of Patch Adams’s gigs.
What exactly is the problem there?
So there’s wind (forecast) and they shut off power, because (possible) fires can emerge?
Is this a logical precaution, or a little farfetched one?
Asking for myself?
@rebbel Well, they went bankrupt because their lines caused several large fatal wildfires. But instead of upgrading their systems, they are doing the blackouts as a preventive measure. Droughts and high winds can cause fast spreading fires and there have been many in recent years but extensive power outages are a lousy solution.
Gotcha, @janbb.
So if I understand it right, the fires can happen anyway, no matter if they power off the lines?
I really can’t see the correlation between the two.
@rebbel Many of the very large fires in recent years have been caused by downed power lines over undeveloped open space.
Power in Lafayette went out at 10:54 last night, this morning walking to the train in the darkness with just my headlamp was eerie. The BART station (on a different power grid) was an island of light in a vast sea of darkness.
Large fire in Moraga overnight, 60+ acres, 140 houses evacuated.
Aha, I see.
I was a bit slow on the take, but now I understand it.
(Still, seems a bit drastic to off the power for hours/days…)
@zenvelo I hadn’t heard about the Moraga fire. Your power went out the same time as my buddy in Walnut Creek. (BTW, I forgot to tell you the bluegrass jam at Bonehead starts at 5)
Power still out in Lafayette, and it is pretty breezy down in the valley. It is like an odd holiday, shops closed, little traffic.
Yeah I’m thinking stores are losing business. Government and other offices can’t operate without lights and computers.
The power was restored here just after five o’clock, so the frozen food didn’t thaw and the milk is still good.
@zenvelo The fire in Moraga is 95% contained.
Right now the major problems seem to be in SoCal. The Saddleridge Fire has already destroyed a number of homes in the Sylmar area of L.A.
Throwing in some wildfires on this question. How is everyone doing? Heard Lafayette is getting evacuated.
I live in the LA area of So Cal.
As of Octember 23, Saddle Ridge was 97% contained. However, some cold Santa Ana winds will be blowing (which sucks) tonight, so I’m sure that area will be under watch.
On Oct 24, a 60-acre fire erupted at a wildlife reserve (Sepulveda Basin) about 2 miles from where I live. I’m fairly sure it’s 100% contained, but with the exception of my backup external drive, my evacuation kit is still packed.
I remember watching fires in Malibu and by Mount Baldy, in the 1950’s.
Scary when we had a one about a mile away on the side of a hill (less than five acres).
Stay safe!
The power has been out at my place since Saturday evening, And out in all of Marin County since the same time.
Yesterday was downright scary from the winds, there is tree debris all over town. Despite complaints about the power being out, unlike the first outage, the wind yesterday had everyone convinced it was the right move.
There was fire on the far side of town from me, that jumped teh free way. CalFire had two aerial tankers dropping retardant. Fortunately, only two structures burned.
There were bad fires on both sides of the Carquinez Bridge, a bad one on the northside that sent embers over the river to the other side and started another fire.
The Bay Area is very smoky today now that the winds have died down.
Cell service in my area was abysmal yesterday, even though phones were charged. I could not send or receive texts, and most phone calls kept breaking up if they got through.
@zenvelo Thanks for the update. Stay safe.
Thanks for checking in.
Glad you’re okay.
My niece is in Marin. Forgot that power outtages also meant no power at gas stations too. Almost ran out of gas crossing the bay bridge this morning.
We are in the east bay and woke up to the whole house smelling like an ashtray. Kids sent off to school with N95 masks. Parents brought in air purifiers into the classrooms. But otherwise business as usual where we are.
Friends in Sonoma evacuated safely. Hoping for rain.
Have a friend in Lafayette whose son lives in Healdsburg. Scary times!
Yes, I have friends in Healdsburg. They evacuated safely. But they also own two restaurants up there. Their entire livelihood is still at stake. :(
My daughter goes to UCLA and school was closed today because of the Getty fire. She said it was raining ashes. She’s not sure about tomorrow.
And in my home in the Bay Area a fire broke out less than a mile from my house, but they got it contained quickly. Neighbors three streets over from us were evacuated but no damage.
@zenvelo Did you go to the jam tonight at Bonehead? It was a lot of fun.
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