UPDATE, NOV. 20, 1:30 p.m.:
Due to improving weather conditions, 83,000 customers originally expected to lose power for safety are no longer part of this Public Safety Power Shutoff, including Guerneville, Forestville and other areas that were previously included in West Sonoma County. That means no additional customers in Sonoma County will be impacted by today’s power shutoff – only the customers who are currently impacted.
“Given what we knew 48 hours out—which is when we want to first alert customers about a possible PSPS—power lines serving about 300,000 customers met our criteria for shutoff,” PG&E spokesperson Deanna Contreras said in a statement.
“With the changing weather conditions in real time, lines serving about 83,000 customers no longer meet our criteria for shutoff. We received precipitation in these areas and are observing high humidity levels from weather stations there,” Contreras said, adding, “This is the second driest start to the water year, which begins Oct. 1, in the last hundred years.”
NOV. 18 REPORT:
This morning, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) began 48-hour advance notifications to customers about a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in portions of 22 counties. Worsening dry conditions and expected high wind gusts pose an increased risk for damage and sparks on the electric system that have the potential to ignite fires in areas with dry vegetation.
High fire-risk conditions are expected to begin early Wednesday (Nov. 20) morning and continue throughout Thursday. Once the high winds subside, currently expected to be Thursday mid-morning, PG&E will inspect the de-energized lines to ensure they were not damaged during the wind event, and then restore power. PG&E will safely restore power in stages as quickly as possible, with the goal of restoring most customers by end of day Thursday, based on the current weather conditions.
The shutoff is expected to impact approximately 264,000 customers in 22 counties.
The shutoff is expected to impact 39,940 PG&E accounts in Sonoma County. Potentially impacted cities or unincorporated areas include: Annapolis, Bodega, Bodega Bay, Calistoga, Cazadero, Cloverdale, Duncans Mills, Forestville, Geyserville, Glen Ellen, Guerneville, Jenner, Kenwood, Monte Rio, Penngrove, Rio Nido, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Sea Ranch, Stewarts Point, Villa Grande, Windsor
