PG&E has announced a Public Safety Power Shutoff that is expected to impact about 38,250 customers in Santa Clara County including 1,086 Medical Baseline Customers.*
According to PG&E, customers in the following cities are likely to be impacted: San Jose, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Redwood Estates, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Coyote, Gilroy, Mount Hamilton, Palo Alto, Holy City.
The shutoff is expected to begin today, Wednesday, October 9 at 11:00 a.m. and continue throughout the Red Flag Weather Conditions, which are forecast for a 24-hour duration.
At this time, PG&E does not know when power will be restored, but the outage could last for up to seven days. PG&E would have already contacted customers who will be impacted, unless contact information on your billing statement is not up to date.
During a power shutoff, PG&E encourages residents to take these steps:
Unplug or turn off appliances, equipment, and electronics to avoid damage caused by surges when the power is restored.
Leave a single lamp on to alert you when the power returns. Then turn your appliances on one at a time.
Typically, your refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours and a full freezer will keep its temperature for about 48 hours--if the freezer and refrigerator doors are kept closed. Consider using coolers with ice to keep food cold and safe.
Be sure to use generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills outdoors only. Do not use a gas stove for heat.
Check on your neighbors.
For dangerous situations that threaten life or safety, call 9-1-1. DO NOT CALL 911 TO REPORT POWER SHUTOFF.
To access social services such as food, shelter, counseling (and more), call 2-1-1.
PG&E will provide Customer Resource Centers that offer charging stations for phones and plug-in medical devices, drinking water, air conditioning and other amenities. To view the list visit bit.ly/2OGbk5B or see attached photo.
For more information on what to do during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/oes/Pages/home.aspx
*The Medical Baseline Program, also known as Medical Baseline Allowance, is an assistance program for residential customers who have special energy needs due to qualifying medical conditions. The program includes two different kinds of help: 1) A lower rate on your monthly energy bill, 2) Extra notifications in advance of a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Visit http://bit.ly/Med-Base to learn more about this program.
Remember, please do not call 911 to report power outages, as this will tie up lines for those needing to report life threatening emergencies. Only call 911 for life threatening emergencies or to report a crime in progress, call 408-730-7180 for non-emergencies, and 408-730-7100 for general inquiries.
For updates on power shutoff and impacted areas visit PG&E at http://www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
