Power Outages May Affect Western Malibu

MALIBU, CA — Parts of western Malibu – from about Big Sycamore Canyon to midway through Point Dume and into Ramirez Canyon – may lose power from Sept. 8 at 9 PM to Sept. 9 at 3 a.m., after Southern California Edison placed parts of the west on the utility company’s monitoring map for possible power cuts.

Emergency alerts have been sent to all cell phones for accounts with 90265 zip codes, according to a city news release.

The program is designed to cut power lines through high-wind events to avoid sparking fires, which are especially likely after a record-breaking heatwave, low humidity, and the entrance of the Santa Ana Winds. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning in effect from 12 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties due to gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity. A Red Flag Warning will remain in effect from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday for the coastal areas of Ventura and Los Angeles counties for the same reason.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, will last as long as the dangerous fire weather conditions persist to reduce the threat of wildfires. SCE is monitoring what is known as the Galahad Circuit in Malibu (see map here), and may shut off power for certain electricity distribution areas (see circuit maps here.) During a PSPS, power to all properties within a specific circuit area may be turned off. When the threat is over, SCE crews can take up to 24 to 72 hours to inspect electrical equipment.

“In the coming few days, every family in Malibu should be prepared for power outages, whether they are caused by an SCE PSPS or high winds, and be prepared for potential fires,” said Mayor Mikke Pierson. “The city is doing everything possible to prepare, and we urge residents to do so as well. Please review your emergency plans, keep your car’s gas tank full, have your go bags ready, monitor the weather and local news, and check on vulnerable neighbors and family members.”

The city has listed a number of suggestions for how to prepare for the PSPS, including having battery-powered flashlights, having cash available, filling up the car with gas, keeping refrigerators closed, leaving gates open or turning the settings to manual operation, having portable chargers for cell phones, throwing away bad food, and discarding medication that must be refrigerated for more than a day, unless the label says otherwise. Individuals medically dependent on electricity should consider going elsewhere, though SCE may be able to register people dependent on electricity for their medicine for a Medical Baseline program to add an additional 16.5kWh per day to baseline electricity allocation.

For a full list of how to prepare for a power outage, visit https://www.ready.gov/power-outages.

The city said that it will set up 10 emergency supply and information stations along the length of the city that are marked with flags. The stations will have food and emergency information. The city also purchased a large number of bullhorns, flashing light bars, and emergency vehicle identification placards so city staff and volunteers can alert residents when power is out or help sheriffs with evacuations.

If power outages extend into the school day, it could affect any and all of Malibu’s four schools. The Santa Monica-Malibu School District has said that it will accommodate students and teachers who are not able to log onto distance learning.

“We recognize that if this power shut off continues into school hours, students and some staff may not be able to participate in distance learning, if devices and internet are not working,” Malibu Pathways Director Isaac Burgess and SMMUSD Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton wrote in an email.

“We understand this situation and teachers will provide support and time for students to catch up in the event of a power shut off. We highly recommend that student’s charge their device in advance so they may be able to working independently on assignments that do not require the internet during this time, if possible.”