PG&E has notified the County of San Mateo it may proactively shut off power to approximately 190,000 customers across the county beginning between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 in response to high winds and fire danger.
As of Friday afternoon, the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is anticipated to last for 48 hours from Saturday afternoon until 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28 plus the time it takes PG&E to re-energize its lines. Power restoration is also dependent upon any damage sustained by PG&E infrastructure from the weather event.
PG&E estimates the PSPS will impact 65,932 meters in San Mateo County and said the meter to customer ratio averages 3 to 1 which pencils out to approximately 195,000 customers. The count includes 1,293 medical baseline customers and 348 addresses identified as critical infrastructure.
Unlike the first two PSPS events which were localized in the southern and coastal areas of the county, this weekend’s anticipated outage spreads across wide swaths, according to overview maps provided by PG&E. These maps show general areas of the county, but residents can learn if their address will be impacted by visiting https://psps.ss.pge.com
The Tom Lantos Tunnel on Highway 1 will remain open during a PSPS, according to Caltrans. However, drivers are asked to stay out of the impacted areas including the coast.
For updates on power restoration and a list of PG&E-operated Community Resource Centers where residents can charge electronics, receive water and use air conditioning, visit PG&E’s PSPS website.
COUNTY RESPONSE:
The San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services is staffing its Emergency Operations Center and working closely with the impacted jurisdictions and agencies.
In advance of the PSPS, County Health is reaching to medical equipment-dependent and other vulnerable clients to ensure they’re aware of the anticipated shutoff. During a PSPS, the San Mateo Medical Center main campus in San Mateo will remain open as will all clinics except Coastside. The Saturday flu clinic planned for Coastside Senior Housing is cancelled and the Canyon Oaks Youth Center is making arrangements to move kids if needed that day.
If there is no power on Monday, outreach calls will be made to consumers with appointments at impacted clinics to make alternative arrangements. The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) site in San Mateo will be closed and client appointments redirected to other sites or rescheduled for another day. The California Children’s Services Medical Therapy Unit (MTU) in San Bruno and San Mateo will also be closed Monday if there is no power and client appointments will be rescheduled. Behavioral Health and Recovery Services at locations without power may be adjusted Monday.
County Parks anticipates keeping as many parks open as possible but visit the Parks page for updates. Sam McDonald Park and Pescadero Creek will be closed through Monday due to the Cabrillo Fire south of Pescadero. During a PSPS, the Devil’s Slide Trail will be closed for first responders’ use if needed.
The Bicycle Sunday scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27 is cancelled. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission alerted Parks that it will close its Peninsula Watershed along State Route 280 on Sunday and Monday which will close the entire Crystal Springs Regional Trail.
County Libraries may have closures during a PSPS although they plan to remain open with limited service pending daylight. Please visit Libraries and its social media accounts for updates.
The San Mateo County Vote Center at Skyline College will temporarily relocate to the San Bruno Senior Center (1555 Crystal Springs Road) until further notice. For updates on all Vote Center locations, visit smcvote.org.
MORE INFORMATION RESOURCES:
· The County of San Mateo encourages residents to sign up for up-to-date emergency alerts through PG&E and SMC Alert (smcalert.info). Follow the County at twitter.com/sanmateoco and facebook.com/CountyofSanMateo.
· For potential facility or road closures in specific impacted jurisdictions, please visit those city or town websites. · For traffic updates on the surrounding area, visit 511.org. · For weather updates, visit the National Weather Service.
· For information on air quality, visit the Bay Area Air Quality Management District at http://www.baaqmd.gov and County Health.
· For food safety information, visit the Red Cross.
· Please reserve 9-1-1 for medical and life-threatening emergencies only.
PSPS PREPARATION:
PG&E asks 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 before, during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff, visit: https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/outage-readiness.page