Officials Warn Of Power Outages Across Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — As residents prepare for the upcoming fire season, the County of Santa Cruz is asking residents who depend on electricity for medical and mobility devices to be aware of the likelihood of extended power outages during certain weather conditions.

To help reduce the risk of catastrophic forest fires, Pacific Gas & Electric plans to shut down portions of the electricity grid during periods of high temperatures and extreme winds. PG&E is warning the shutoffs could last one to two days—or longer than a week—depending on the weather severity. People who rely on ventilators, respiratory devices, dialysis, feeding devices, motorized equipment, or refrigerated medication are all at risk during extended power outages.

To keep the public safe, the county is asking residents who rely on such equipment to fill out a brief survey. The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YRBCNZN. Filling out the survey assures that county officials have accurate contact information for vulnerable residents if and when an extended power shutoff occurs. Information will be kept confidential.

The county is also encouraging impacted residents and their families to be prepared by keeping a list of emergency phone numbers handy; having alternative power supplies on hand, such as safe generators; and being ready to relocate if necessary.

During an actual shutoff and/or emergency situation, supplies and communications may be limited, and residents are encouraged to act now.

Eligible residents are also encouraged to sign up for PG&E's Medical Baseline Program: https://www.pge.com/…/medic…/medical-baseline-allowance.page.

During a public safety power shutoff, some advanced notice is expected. The County Office of Emergency Services encourages people to sign up for emergency notifications by visiting http://www.scr911.org and following the prompts, or by downloading the CodeRed app.

For more on PG&E's public safety power shutoffs, visit https://prepareforpowerdown.com.