Power Outages Affect Thousands Across LA Amid Deadly Heatwave

Calabasas CA

05 September, 2020

8:04 PM

Description

LOS ANGELES, CA — As parts of Los Angeles swelter under record-breaking temperatures reaching 116 degrees, thousands of people were left without electricity due to widespread outages. More than 21,248 Southern California Edison customers were experiencing outages due to extreme heat conditions Saturday, with dozens or more left without power due to fires burning in the state, according to Ron Gales, a spokesman for SCE. Both Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported scattered outages. Many customers won't see their power turned back on until after sunset, authorities warned. The bulk of the outages affected residents in the San Gabriel Valley and Calabasas where temperatures reached 114 degrees Saturday. Such high temperatures can be deadly for vulnerable residents such as the elderly, and residents are being asked to conserve energy to avoid overloading the power grid, and triggering further blackouts. SCE was experiencing most of the larger problems as of 4:30 p.m., with outages affecting 1,701 customers in Alhambra, 1,429 customers in an unincorporated area near Calabasas, 128 customers in Maywood, 88 in Norwalk and 50 in Santa Monica. The DWP reported an outage affecting 359 customers in Los Feliz, 60 in the Fairfax District and 35 in Montecito Heights. Both utilities also reported a large number of scattered outages affecting fewer people. The Southland was experiencing a historic heatwave this weekend, with forecasters predicting temperatures near all-time records in some areas. Woodland Hills broke its all-time record with a temperature of 118 on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Elsewhere, Van Nuys had reached 115 degrees by 3 p.m., while it was 115 in Chatsworth and Duarte, 114 in Calabasas, 113 in Pasadena, 112 in Santa Clarita and 111 in Burbank. The California Independent System Operator, which manages the power grid, announced that a Flex Alert -- a call for voluntary conservation -- will be in effect from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Urging voluntary conservation is an effort to stave off too much strain on the state's electrical system, possibly leading to rolling power outages, like those that occurred during high heat last month. An excessive heat warning issued by the NWS will be in effect until 8 p.m. Monday in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, Santa Catalina Island and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel and Antelope valleys. In Orange County, the warning will be in force in coastal areas from 10 a.m. Saturday until 8 p.m. Monday. Cooling centers will be open throughout the weekend in Los Angeles and Orange counties. They can be found at https://ready.lacounty.gov/heat/, and www.211oc.org/resource-centers/extreme-heat-cooling-centers.html. Authorities noted that due to the coronavirus pandemic, cooling centers will be limited in capacity and restrictions will be in place, such as requiring face coverings. City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.