In preparation for PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) scheduled to begin between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, the County of San Mateo has activated its Emergency Operations Center and is encouraging residents to sign up for up-to-date alerts through PG&E and SMC Alert.
The PSPS is scheduled to last until noon Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. However, PG&E has said it could take up to five days for the power lines to be reenergized.
Approximately 15,000 PG&E customers and 262 medical baseline customers will be affected in the southern and coastal areas of the county, including the cities of Half Moon Bay and the towns of Portola Valley and Woodside. The unincorporated areas west of 280 and to the Santa Cruz border including Pescadero are also in the anticipated impact zone. Across Northern California, PG&E estimates about 800,000 customers will be affected, or 1.8 million people.
PG&E and Caltrans have rerouted power, allowing the Tom Lantos Tunnel on Highway 1 to remain open although that could change dependent on evolving weather conditions.
The San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services is closely monitoring the situation and working closely with the potentially impacted areas, our public safety partners and agencies like CHP and Caltrans. Our goal now, as it always is, is ensuring our communities are informed, prepared and safe.
In the event of the shutdown, the Sheriff’s Office will increase patrols in the impacted cities and the unincorporated areas. Streetlights in the impacted areas are expected to go down and drivers are asked to avoid the areas if possible.
Please reserve 9-1-1 for emergencies only.
PG&E has opened a tented Community Resource Center in the Pasta Moon restaurant parking lot, 845 Main St. in Half Moon Bay where residents can receive water, air conditioning and power charging for devices. The hours are 8 a.m. through at least 8 p.m. during the power shutoff.
County Parks has closed parks in the impacted areas. Please visit parks.smcgov.org for up-to-date information on potential closures.
For potential facility or road closures in specific impacted jurisdictions, please visit those city or town websites.
For updates on power restoration, see PG&E’s PSPS website: https://bit.ly/2muOfqk.
For San Mateo County specific emergency updates, enroll in SMC Alert at smcalert.info and follow the County at twitter.com/sanmateoco and www.facebook.com/CountyofSanMateo.
For traffic updates on the surrounding area, visit 511.org.
See if an address may be impacted by a PSPS: https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/psps-service-impact-map.page.
Individuals may also enroll in PG&E alerts and check address impacts by texting “ENROLL” 97633 or calling 1-800-743-5000.
To prepare for the PSPS, PG&E is asking customers to:
· Update contact information at pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a PSPS.
· Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
· Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
· Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
· Consider family members who are elderly, younger children and pets. Information and tips including a safety plan checklist are available at pge.com/wildfiresafety.
For more information on what to do during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit: https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/outage-readiness.page