SLO County could see a power shutoff as PG&E sets risk level at ‘elevated’
You might want to make sure you know where your flashlight is.
PG&E announced Wednesday that it is closely monitoring an upcoming wind event next week that could force the utility company to shut off power across wide swaths of the state.
According to PG&E’s latest announcement, all but one of its nine California coverage zones have an “elevated” potential for a Public Safety Power Shutoff event on Sunday and Monday — including Zones 6 and 7, which encompass SLO County.
This does not mean that the power will go out locally; the utility has only marked the area as one it will be closely monitoring for a potential shutoff if the conditions call for it.
In its weekly forecast, PG&E lists four stages of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Potential: Not Expected, Elevated, PSPS Watch and PSPS Warning. The latter two levels are more serious and are only activated is there is a “reasonable chance of executing PSPS for public safety ... due to a combination of adverse weather and dry fuel conditions,” according to PG&E’s website.
The forecast is only based on weather conditions and fuel moisture; it is not the only criteria the company uses to determine whether a PSPS is necessary, according to PG&E.
PG&E has begun shutting off power during high fire risk conditions in an effort to avoid another tragedy like the deadly Camp Fire in northern California in 2018. That fire, the mostly deadly and destructive in California history, was sparked by a PG&E transmission line.
The company shut off power to nearly 2 million people in Northern California earlier this month and on Wednesday began to cut power to about 179,000 customers in 15 northern California counties, including part of Kern County.
So far, there are no plans to shut off power in San Luis Obispo County.
“At this point, we have been given no indication that a power shutoff will be implemented in SLO County,” the Office of Emergency Services wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday evening, noting that the office is also monitoring the situation.
What to do if your power is shut off
Though it may not happen next week, PG&E’s new program calls for everyone to be prepared in the event of a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
According to the utility company’s website, the most likely electric lines to be shut off during an outage are those that go through the California Public Utility Commission’s “Fire-Threat District Map.”
Much of San Luis Obispo County is marked on the map as having either “elevated” or “extreme” fire threats — meaning a power shutoff would be likely at some point.
Areas not included on the fire threat map could also have their power shut off if their community relies upon a line that passes through one of those high-risk areas, PG&E says.
To be prepared, PG&E urges customers to update their contact information with the company to ensure you can be alerted to a potential shutoff. You can also sign up online to receive PSPS zip code alerts directly from PG&E.
The company also encourages people to:
Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency contacts, such as numbers of hospitals, fire departments, police, friends and relatives.
Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first-aid supplies and cash.
Keep in mind the needs of the elderly and young children and pets.
Know how to manually open garage doors.
Make sure smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are ready.
Keep emergency food and water on hand.
Use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire.
Unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.
For more information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs, visit PG&E’s website at https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-event.page.
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