Hundreds in SLO County may be impacted by PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff
More than 380 San Luis Obispo County residents may be impacted by a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff this week, according to the utility company.
Strong winds expected to blow through the Central Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday could damage power lines in the area, so PG&E warned residents Monday morning that power outages may be necessary.
Starting Tuesday morning between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., PG&E may shut off power to those in the southern part of the county — including areas east and south of Arroyo Grande, Nipomo and Santa Maria.
Just one customer in San Luis Obispo city can expect to have their power shut off, according to the company.
The power is estimated to be restored at 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to PG&E.
PG&E expects the outage to affect 386 residents in the county, 13 of which are medical baseline customers. Those customers depend on power for certain medical or assisted living needs, according to PG&E.
PG&E is in the process of setting up a Community Resource Center for residents who need somewhere to go during the shutoff, according to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services. Those impacted by the power outage will be notified by PG&E.
On Sunday night, PG&E announced that more than 6,100 customers in Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties could be impacted by similar outages as “hazardous winds could cause widespread damage, leading to outages throughout service area, with targeted PSPS (Public Safety Power Outage) to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfire.”
Fire weather watch issued for Central Coast
San Luis Obispo County residents can expect wind gusts to reach as high as 20 mph Monday, as predicted by the National Weather Service. On Tuesday, the area may experience gusts as high as 35 to 50 mph for the Central Coast and Santa Ynez Valley, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusts of 60 to 70 mph are likely for those living in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
The strongest winds will come Tuesday through Tuesday night, the National Weather Service predicts.
Gusty conditions will continue through Wednesday, with some as high as 20 mph throughout the day. Calm weather is forecasted to return Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch from Monday evening through Wednesday morning due to the strong winds and low relative humidity in the area.
A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, the National Weather Service said.
“This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route,” the National Weather Service wrote in a release Monday.
This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 11:30 AM.
