PG&E power shutoff leaves neighbors with concerns in San Joaquin County
Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s planned public safety power shutoff is leaving neighbors who are impacted in San Joaquin County with a lot of concerns.The proactive outages are aimed at reducing the risk of gusty winds knocking down powerlines and sparking fires. They started Thursday morning and will continue until Saturday across parts of 15 counties in Northern California.PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said 11,500 customers throughout the utility’s service territory are being impacted. That includes 985 customers in San Joaquin County and 44 in Stanislaus County. “There are some pretty heavy winds, low humidity and really dry vegetation and so the reason for the public safety power shutoffs are really to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” Smith said. On Thursday, KCRA 3 saw some intersections in Tracy where street lights were not working and gas stations had signs posted on their door saying they were without power. The wind knocked over trash cans across the area. Some neighbors on Wakefield Court in Tracy said didn’t understand why the shutoff should last as long as planned. “Your food is going to spoil and I have, you know, no power, no lights and, and I have my hearing aids I got to charge,” said 88-year-old Sally Rodriguez. The warmer temperatures are making coping with the outages worse. “If you go in my house, it’s pretty warm. There’s no air, you know? And my daughter says, ‘open the windows.’ I can’t do that,” Rodriguez said. Other homeowners in Tracy like Genuino Amaral shared similar concerns. “I have no power,” Amaral said. “In the freezer everything is gonna go bad.”Homes in the neighborhood rely on septic tanks and a well for water, but because of the shutoff there was no water either. PG&E said that people in need of power can go to Grayson Elementary School in Stanislaus County from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is Wi-Fi, snacks, water, and charging stations for electronics and medical devices.(Video below: A look at peak wind gusts on Thursday.)See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s planned public safety power shutoff is leaving neighbors who are impacted in San Joaquin County with a lot of concerns.
The proactive outages are aimed at reducing the risk of gusty winds knocking down powerlines and sparking fires. They started Thursday morning and will continue until Saturday across parts of 15 counties in Northern California.
PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said 11,500 customers throughout the utility’s service territory are being impacted. That includes 985 customers in San Joaquin County and 44 in Stanislaus County.
“There are some pretty heavy winds, low humidity and really dry vegetation and so the reason for the public safety power shutoffs are really to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” Smith said.
On Thursday, KCRA 3 saw some intersections in Tracy where street lights were not working and gas stations had signs posted on their door saying they were without power. The wind knocked over trash cans across the area.
Some neighbors on Wakefield Court in Tracy said didn’t understand why the shutoff should last as long as planned.
“Your food is going to spoil and I have, you know, no power, no lights and, and I have my hearing aids I got to charge,” said 88-year-old Sally Rodriguez.
The warmer temperatures are making coping with the outages worse.
“If you go in my house, it’s pretty warm. There’s no air, you know? And my daughter says, ‘open the windows.’ I can’t do that,” Rodriguez said.
Other homeowners in Tracy like Genuino Amaral shared similar concerns.
“I have no power,” Amaral said. “In the freezer everything is gonna go bad.”
Homes in the neighborhood rely on septic tanks and a well for water, but because of the shutoff there was no water either.
PG&E said that people in need of power can go to Grayson Elementary School in Stanislaus County from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is Wi-Fi, snacks, water, and charging stations for electronics and medical devices.
(Video below: A look at peak wind gusts on Thursday.)
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel