10/7/2019
PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
Update from the County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management
We’ll share additional updates as they become available from PG&E this afternoon and evening. Here is a summary of available information to date:
Background:
PG&E has announced a possible Power Safety Power Shutoff incident that is expected to affect up to 29 counties in the State of California, including Santa Clara County. Potential impacts in Santa Clara County include approximately 38,000 customers, including 1,000 medical baseline customers, affected by a power shutoff starting at midnight Wednesday, October 9 and continuing throughout the day on Wednesday and possibly longer. Residents could be without power for up to five days. They predict at this time that the greatest impacts would likely be in the Diablo Range in the eastern part of the county.
PG&E attributes the planned PSPS to weather conditions and high fire risk. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts gusty offshore winds, Wednesday through early Thursday, along with very low daytime minimum humidity, and poor humidity recoveries at night. The NWS indicated that this will be the strongest offshore wind event so far this season.
Key Messages for Public:
* PG&E is predicting a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that may impact portions of Santa Clara County.
* Up to 38,000 customer accounts (100,000 people), including 1,000 Medical Baseline customers could be impacted.
* The expected timeline for the PSPS is Wednesday, October 9, as early as 12:00 a.m. The power shutoff could last up to five days – For more details: PG&E press release
* As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:
* Update their contact information at pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
* Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
* Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
* Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
* Keep in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets. Information and tips including a safety plan checklist are available at pge.com/wildfiresafety.
* Learn more about wildfire risk and what to do before, during and after an emergency to keep your family safe at PG&E’s Safety Action Center.
* For more information on what to do during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit: PG&E How To Prepare For a Power Shutoff
More information available at www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/emergency Click on Public Safety Power Outages
PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff information and resources in multiple languages:
Vietnamese – https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/vi_US/public-safety-event.page
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