Redwood City-Woodside Power Outage: PG&E Starts Safety Shutdown

REDWOOD CITY, CA — The second phase of PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff hit San Mateo County late Wednesday night. The outages were expected to leave more than 14,000 county residents without power.

Initially scheduled to start around noon, the shutoff was delayed multiple times due to changes to the weather forecast, according to PG&E. The second phase will impact service for about 234,000 customers in the Bay Area and Sierra Foothills, according to PG&E.

The first phase of power outages started around midnight Wednesday in the North Bay.

As of Thursday afternoon, here's what the outages near Redwood City and Woodside looked like, according to a PG&E online map:

The shutoffs come as strong, dry winds are set to hit the area, creating a fire risk. The outages could last longer than 48 hours, and the agency is recommending that households prepare for the possibility of several days without power

As of Thursday afternoon, here are the latest updates on what's happening around Redwood City and Woodside (keep checking throughout the day for the latest):

• Much of Portola Valley, including Portola Valley Town Hall, is without power. The Town Hall is running on generators, The Almanac reported.
• Portola Valley Elementary School District is closed Thursday, The Almanac reported.
• Woodside schools will remain open even if power is lost, superintendent Steve Frank said on Tuesday.
• Sequoia Union High School District schools plan to remain open, according to The Almanac, but private Woodside Priory canceled classes for Wednesday and Thursday.
• Redwood City police reiterated Wednesday that they do not expect Redwood City customers to be affected, with the shutoffs only expected to reach as far as Woodside.
• PG&E continues to update its maps at https://www.pge.com/pspsupdates. Please note that this site has been experiencing heavy traffic and may be slow at times. PG&E is also posting information on Twitter: @PGE4Me.
• No road closures reported.