PG&E on Monday afternoon added portions of two more Bay Area counties to the six where residents may be without power in a Public Safety Power Shutoff that may start Wednesday morning.
The electricity and gas provider added parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to the others that may be affected by the shutoff that is expected to last through Thursday.
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PG&E shuts off power to areas where there is a high risk that damaged electrical equipment will spark a catastrophic wildfire.
Monday morning PG&E began notifying 264,000 customers in 22 counties about a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff starting Wednesday morning.
By Monday afternoon, the numbers had grown to 303,000 customers and 25 counties. The numbers changed because the weather forecast changed, PG&E officials said.
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The shutoff is in response to expected high wind gusts and dry conditions in the Bay Area and other parts of California.
Customers in the following 25 counties could lose power: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba.
Here’s a breakdown of the potential shutoff in the Bay Area, per PG&E:
- Alameda County: 12,200 customers in Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro.
- Contra Costa County: 23,230 customers in Canyon, El Sobrante, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, Richmond.
- Marin County: 23,440 customers in Bolinas, Fairfax, Forest Knolls, Inverness, Lagunitas, Marshall, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Nicasio, Novato, Olema, Point Reyes Station, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, San Rafael, Stinson Beach, Woodacre.
- Napa County: 11,180 customers in Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Napa, Oakville, Pope Valley, Rutherford, Yountville.
- San Mateo County: 70 customers in Pescadero and unincorporated areas.
- Santa Clara County: 2,978 customers in Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatosa and Redwood Estates.
- Santa Cruz County: 36,164 customers in Aptos, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Capitola, Davenport, Felton, Mount Hermon, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Soquel and Watsonville.
- Solano County: 1,970 customers in Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville.
- Sonoma County: 39,940 customers in Annapolis, Bodega, Bodega Bay, Calistoga, Cazadero, Cloverdale, Duncans Mills, Forestville, Geyserville, Glen Ellen, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Jenner, Kenwood, Monte Rio, Penngrove, Rio Nido, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Sea Ranch, Stewarts Point, Villa Grande, Windsor.
The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Tuesday night through Thursday morning in the North Bay mountains, East Bay hills and the Diablo Range.
The weather service is forecasting north to northeast winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 35-45 mph in those areas. Isolated gusts on some peaks could reach up to 60 mph, the NWS said.
The winds combined with humidity levels dropping to 10% to 20% in some of those areas increases the fire danger, and any fires that develop could spread quickly, the weather service said.
For the latest updates on PG&E’s power shutoffs, go to the company website.
Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
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Source: NBC Bay Area