Central California residents brace for PG&E's public safety power shutoffs as storms move in

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Public Safety Power Shutoffs are already underway in parts of Northern California as PG&E officials say they are closely monitoring the winds in Central California and weighing whether to shut off power.

"We may lose power Friday morning at about 2 AM and have it restored by Sunday at 4 PM," Kris Hamilton said.

She is one of the thousands of PG&E customers who could lose power early Friday morning as strong winds move through parts of California.

The alerts impact 20,000 customers across 24 counties, including parts of Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Mariposa counties.

Hamilton's North Fork home is in the zone for potential outages.

"When the power goes out, most of us are on wells, and that is especially dangerous when there is a fire because you won't have water," Hamilton said.

Utility officials say the potential for shutoffs comes amid dry conditions in the foothill and mountain communities, increasing the fire risk if live power lines fall in the wind.

"We will shut off electricity to prevent if a tree falls into a line or if a wire hits the ground to prevent wildfires," PG&E Acting Regional Vice President Kari Chester said.

Chester says company officials will decide to trigger shutoffs when winds reach more than 19 miles per hour or gusts of more than 30 to 40 miles per hour.

"Winds are going to ramp up later (Thursday and) really through Friday morning," Action News AM Live meteorologist Christine Gregory forecasted. "Specifically, the west side of the Valley toward Mendota (and) Los Banos, you could see gusts up to 30-40 miles per hour and especially toward the foothill communities, as well."

State regulators have previously fined PG&E for violating guidelines and botched safety shutoffs in 2019, leaving millions in the dark.

PG&E officials say they are aware of the inconvenience the shutoffs cause but say they are far less catastrophic than wildfires.

Hamilton agrees. Her home burned in the 2017 Mission Fire.

"We're all still on pins and needles until the wet season starts, especially because we don't have a staffed fire station," Hamilton said.

For customers who lose power, Community Resource Centers in Oakhurst, North Fork, and Auberry offer water, snacks, and charging ports for devices and medical equipment.