Thousands of people in the Inland Empire are affected by power shut offs due to strong wind conditions sparking wildfires across Southern California.
According to Southern California Edison spokeswoman Gabriela Ornelas, about 44,000 thousand people in Riverside County had shutoff issues as of 1 pm Wednesday. That number has risen to about 51,000 in the last few hours. In San Bernardino County, about 34,000 customers are experiencing shutoffs.
Outages are impacting customers in areas near Bloomington, Grand Terrace, Jurupa Valley and Moreno Valley, Ornelas shared. She acknowledged the concerns and frustrations of customers who are impacted by shut offs and explained that they’re usually a “last resort” to protect customers in high-risk areas from infrastructure that could spark fires.
“Once we do activate a public safety power shut off, when we see that it's necessary to do so, that shut off remains in effect for the duration of that wind event,” said Ornelas.
She urges residents to steer clear of downed power lines and advises customers to be prepared for outages by shutting off gas lines, having flashlights handy, filling up their car’s gas tanks and writing down emergency contacts.
“They need to stay away 100 feet and away from anything that's in contact with that line or wire. They should call 9-1-1 immediately. They can be extremely dangerous because they may still be energized.”
For more information on power outages, visit sce.com/outage-center.
From California Newsroom partner, LAist:
What to do before a flex alert or rolling power outage
Sign up for emergency alerts ...
- From your county and your city.
- From the California Independent System Operator, which operates most of the state’s power grid and issues flex alerts.
- From Southern California Edison.
- Know your local media outlets that can help you navigate what’s happening during the emergency
Have a go-bag with medical and pet essentials fully stocked in case you need to escape from a fire or head to somewhere cooler or warmer. Basics for an emergency kit include:
- Food, including nonperishable food and a manual can opener.
- Water (tap water may not flow if you use an electric pump to move that water)
- Cash
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Fire extinguisher
- Hand-crank NOAA radio
- More on how to prepare a go-bag here and here
- Make sure your car’s gas tank or battery is at least halfway full and plan an escape route from your neighborhood.
- Know how to open any electric garage doors or gates manually.
- Identify and physically write down emergency numbers (fire department, sheriff’s department, police, hospital, doctor, relatives, neighbor, coworker) in case your phone dies or 911 call lines go out (which happened during Tropical Storm Hilary in Palm Springs, though text lines still worked).
- Have a plan for a safe, cool place to go if you are not safe to ride out the outage or fire at home.
- Have a cooler and ice to keep food fresh.
- Keep that landline — it’ll likely work during a power outage.
During the outage
During an outage, Diane Castro with Southern California Edison said it’s important to unplug and turn off everything to avoid power surges and potentially sparking a fire when power is restored. She suggested leaving one light on so you know when the power goes back on.
Free backup power for medical devices
For people who rely on electric medical equipment or live in high-risk fire areas, Southern California Edison offers free portable backup batteries. Learn more about the program here.
If you do rely on battery-powered medical devices, it’s also important to let your local emergency service operators and electricity providers know that. Also have a plan for if you live in a building that uses elevators or otherwise may be difficult to get out in the case of a power outage or other emergency.
If you encounter downed power lines
Advice from Southern California Edison
- Never touch a fallen power line. Call the power company to report fallen power lines.
- Do not drive through standing water if downed powerlines are in the water.
- If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, remember to exit away from downed power lines and exit by jumping from the vehicle and landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away.
- Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
Advice from the CDC if you believe someone has been electrocuted
- Look first. Don't touch. The person may still be in contact with the electrical source. Touching the person may pass the current through you.
- Call or have someone else call 911 or emergency medical help.
- Turn off the source of electricity if possible. If not, move the source away from you and the affected person using a nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood.
- Once the person is free of the source of electricity, check the person's breathing and pulse. If either has stopped or seems dangerously slow or shallow, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately.
- If the person is faint or pale or shows other signs of shock, lay him or her down with the head slightly lower than the trunk of the body and the legs elevated.
- Don't touch burns, break blisters, or remove burned clothing. Electrical shock may cause burns inside the body, so be sure the person is taken to a doctor.
Resource lists
You can read Southern California Edison’s full list of tips for what to do before and during a power outage here. And L.A. County has more emergency preparation guidance here.
If the outage it due to high heat
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but before a flex alert — which are usually between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when utilities ask customers to turn thermostats to no less than 78 degrees to conserve energy — pre-cool your home as much as possible and fully charge your electronics, including backup battery packs.
