More than 2,000 PG&E customers without power in Corralitos area
More than 6,500 PG&E customers without power in Capitola, Live Oak
More than 6,500 PG&E customers were without power Wednesday afternoon in the Capitola and Live Oak areas of Santa Cruz County.
PG&E’s outage map showed the unplanned outage began at about 4:41 p.m. Wednesday. As of 4:53 p.m., approximately 6,559 customers were affected.
PG&E said a crew was working to evaluate the electrical system, identify damaged sections, and make repairs. PG&E attributed the outage to faulty equipment in Capitola.
Crews say power should be restored by 7 p.m.
The cause of the outage remained under investigation, and an estimated restoration time had not been determined.
PG&E compensation for outages
PG&E customers affected by outages may qualify for the company’s Safety Net Program. The program offers monetary compensation to residential customers who lose power for more than 48 hours.
The Safety Net Program pays $25 to $100 automatically, 60 to 120 days after the power outage. The amount depends on the length of the outage.
Nonresidential accounts do not qualify for reimbursement.
For a complete list of requirements, visit PG&E’s website here.
What to keep and what to toss from your fridge after a power outage
Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what to keep and what to throw away:
- Do not taste food to determine whether it is safe. When in doubt, throw it out.
- After four hours without power, throw out perishable foods in the refrigerator, such as meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk and leftovers.
- After 24 hours, throw out perishable foods in the freezer.
- Throw out foods with strange odors, colors or textures.
- Throw out food that is above 40 degrees.
- Put food that is still salvageable in the freezer with an added cold source.
- You can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is below 40 degrees.
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