A barrage of powerful winds, reaching nearly 100 miles per hour, struck various parts of California on Sunday, resulting in the toppling of trees and power lines. The aftermath of the storm left over 850,000 homes and businesses without electricity across the state. As utility providers struggled to assess the damage and restore power, uncertainty loomed over when normalcy would be restored.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), catering to customers in Northern California, the Central Valley, and the coast down to Santa Barbara, reported that their outages alone affected over a million people on Sunday evening. The combination of strong winds and fallen trees hindered crews from conducting a comprehensive assessment.
Denny Boyles, a spokesperson for PG&E, conveyed a message to customers, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to evaluate the damage. In preparation for the storm, the utility company had advised customers to secure outdoor items like patio furniture to prevent them from becoming projectiles that could damage power lines. Boyles cited a past incident where a powerful storm sent a customer’s backyard trampoline airborne due to high wind gusts.
Among the areas most severely impacted by electricity outages was Santa Clara County. By Sunday evening, nearly 140,000 homes and businesses in the county had lost power due to the intense winds and heavy rain. Scott Kleebauer, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, highlighted that flooding in the county had even affected PG&E’s underground equipment. Additionally, most of California was placed under either a wind advisory or a high wind warning. Kleebauer cautioned about the potential for rain-induced mudslides that could knock out power lines.
Various other regions experienced power outages, including Sacramento, where more than 170,000 customers were without electricity. While this number was significantly less than the 600,000 affected during last year’s storms, Gamaliel Ortiz, a spokesman for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, emphasized the importance of preparedness based on past experiences. Ortiz noted that the utility service had increased the number of repair crews, damage assessors, and office support staff since last year. However, he acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the ongoing storm, expressing the possibility of more significant impacts.
As California grapples with the aftermath of the severe winds, the focus remains on restoring power and ensuring public safety. The unpredictable weather conditions underscore the challenges faced by utility providers in maintaining a resilient and responsive infrastructure to mitigate the impact of such natural events.
