Significant Wind Event May Shut Off Power in Areas of SoCal

The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting Santa Ana winds on Saturday through Tuesday.

NWS stated this is a “dangerous situation” and residents in high fire danger areas should prepare now if called to evacuate.

The majority of Ventura County and parts of Los Angeles County will likely experience critical fire weather danger while the majority of eastern Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties will experience “elevated” levels of danger.

“The onset of Santa Ana winds will bring rapid drying to the region late Saturday night, with widespread single digit humidities Sunday into Monday. The strongest Santa Ana winds are expected Sunday, when gusts of 35 to 50 mph will be common, except isolated gusts up to 60 mph likely in favored mountain and foothill locations,” reports NWS.

Dry and breezy offshore flow conditions will persist into Tuesday which may extend critical fire weather conditions across portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. While not currently in the watch area, interior portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties will see elevated to brief critical fire weather conditions Sunday into Monday.

Southern California Edison (SoCal Edison) will be considering Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) as a measure of last resort to keep communities safe from wildfires.

“We know that shutoffs significantly affect our customer’s daily lives and create hardships for them. We’re working to limit the scope of possible shutoffs to only the areas that are facing the highest threat of wildfire and we are taking actions to keep our customers informed,” SoCal Edison stated in a press release.

SoCal Edison’s online interactive outage map shows areas being monitored for a potential shutoff, any areas where power is currently off can be found on the outage map and through the address lookup tool.

To report outages not shown on the outage map, please call at (800) 611-1911.

SoCal Edison offers the following recommendations to stay safe and prepared during high wind conditions and possible power outages:

• Check emergency supplies to ensure you have a battery-operated radio, a flashlight and fresh batteries.
• Secure any temporary structures in your backyard or business, including backyard furniture and tents, as well as patio equipment and covers used in commercial settings.
• If you see a downed power line, do not touch it or anything in contact with it. Call 911 immediately.
• Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch that has come in contact with a power line.
• Power outages in the area may impact traffic signals, so motorists should use extreme caution and treat all intersections as four-way stops during an outage.
• If you are in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, remain calm and stay inside until help arrives. It is okay 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 and landing with both feet together. Do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away.
• Use flashlights instead of candles to avoid fire hazards in your home or business.
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates a “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews. Please consult the manufacturer’s manual for operating the generator.
• Do not use any equipment inside that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.