Pushed Back: Lamorinda Power Shutoff

LAMORINDA, CA —The residents of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda will definitely be impacted by a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS. The utility officially notified all three communities of the shutoff on Monday.

PG&E originally planned to begin de-energizing power lines at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. However, the timing of predicted high winds has changed. The utility reported Tuesday evening that blackouts in the East Bay shouldn't begin until after noon on Wednesday.

Once the power is cut, it could be off for days, the utility giant warns. Power will not be restored until power lines are inspected, to ensure that they are not in danger of starting a wildfire.

This shutoff will impact 21,421 customers in Lamorinda.

All three local police departments issued alerts to residents after 8 p.m. on Monday. They want to remind drivers that traffic signals won't work, so treat intersections with dark signals as a four-way stop. Police patrols will be increased.

The departments also passed along these tips to survive the long outage:

· Plan for your family and pet medical needs. Do you have enough prescription meds? If you have major medical needs that depend upon electricity, is it safer for you to relocate to a friend’s or family member’s home out of the area?
· Have an emergency supply kit with food and water.
· Flashlights? Extra batteries?
· Keep all of your mobile devices charged.
· Identify backup charging methods.
· Store water and non-perishable foods.
· If you have a generator, do you have extra fuel?
· Keep vehicle fuel tanks full.
· Remember, gas stations, stores and ATMs in the immediate area will be closed.
· Know how to use the manual release on your garage door.
· Talk with your neighbors and friends and share your plans.

During the outage:
· Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
· Monitor freezer and refrigerator temperatures with a thermometer.
· Use perishable food supplies first.
· Use generators, stoves and grills outdoors away from windows.
· Disconnect electronics and appliances to avoid damage from electrical surges.
· Check on neighbors, animals and family.
· Drive safely and slowly as traffic signals may not be functioning properly.

Police non-emergency phone numbers:

Lafayette: 925-299-3220

Moraga: 925-888-7055

Orinda: 925-254-6820

Earlier Monday, PG&E issued a press release saying that it may proactively turn off power in portions of 30 counties in Northern and Central California due to a National Weather Service fire weather watch for vast portions of the Golden State.

"The National Interagency Fire Center's Geographic Area Coordination Center is also forecasting significant fire potential across Northern California beginning on Wednesday of this week," said Deanna Contreras, PG&E spokeswoman.

The 30 counties: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

Napa County was also notified that a PSPS was planned, and it could last for up to five days there. Cities impacted include Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga.

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