PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs could affect some Central CA residents on Monday

Another round of Public Safety Power Shutoffs could affect residents in the foothill and mountain communities in Central California.

Monday, January 18, 2021

PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs could effect some Valley residents on Monday

Another round of Public Safety Power Shutoffs could affect residents in the foothill and mountain communities in Central CA.

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As an offshore windstorm approaches the Golden State, some PG&E customers in Central California could be cut from the power grid.

"Which could potentially bring down power lines, trees or branches that can make contact with an energized line," said PG&E spokesperson Evelyn Escalera.

PG&E officials are warning a little more than 6,000 customers across four Central Valley counties about a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff. The shutoffs primarily include people living near national forests and parks in Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties.

As many as 2,200 customers could lose power in Fresno County. That number climbs to 2,500 in Mariposa County. More than 400 homes could be shut off in Tulare County, and another 289 customers in Madera County are at risk of losing power.

The shutoffs could start as soon as Monday and last up to Wednesday morning.

Escalera said several factors are influencing the potential shutoff.

"In this case, we continue to have dry terrain due to lack of moisture, lack of rain in various portions of the Central Valley. We have above-average temperatures and wind," Escalera said.

An Accuweather Alert has been issued due to strong wind gusts and high fire danger in the foothills and mountain communities.

Rebecca Kern owns an organic store, The Gnarly Carrot, located in North Fork. She sees the importance of the shutoffs having survived the Creek Fire.

"It is definitely better to have the power go out than to have a fire again," Kern said.

In 2019, she was impacted by a power shutoff. This time around, she's just outside of the potential outage zone, but she's prepared in case that changes.

She now has an automatic generator to keep her products from spoiling.

"It is such a load off. It was always something I was worried about whenever there was any kind of weather or wind," Kern said.

Escalera said PG&E customers that could be impacted have already been notified.

If a shutoff does happen, resource centers will open in each affected county.

For more information on the possible shutoff, visit their website.