'Fingers crossed': Several hundred North Bay neighbors face possible planned PG&E shutoffs

Monday, October 24, 2022

North Bay neighbors face possible planned PG&E shutoffs

PG&E says a PSPS is possible for parts of Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties between now and tomorrow in response to rising wildfire risk.

CALISTOGA, Calif. (KGO) -- About 200 customers have been notified by PG&E about a possible public safety power shutoff in Napa county on Sunday.

Power was supposed to be shut off starting at 6 a.m., then 7 a.m., but there have not been any reports of outages in Napa County just yet.

PG&E meteorologists are monitoring high-speed winds.

The strong winds combined with drought conditions could increase fire risk in the area.

It is expected to affect customers North of Calistoga along Highway 29 near the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park area, PG&E says.

If the shut-off happens -- it is expected to last until 3 p.m. on Monday.

VIDEO: What you can do right now to prepare for a PG&E power shut down

PG&E may cut electrical power during days of Red Flag Warnings and/or extreme fire danger, and it could cause WiFi transmitters, streaming TVs and digital assistants like Amazon's Echo to experience an outage. Here are some tips to get ready for a shut off.

PG&E says it coordinated with the County and City of Calistoga Fire Station and will have Grab & Go Bags for impacted customers this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will include: a battery phone charger, water, snacks and a blanket at the fire station.

The pick up location is at 1113 Washington St, Calistoga, CA 94515.

In addition to Napa County, Sonoma County is also included in the possible power shutoff in the Bay Area which would impact three customers in the area.

Several hundred Bay Area neighbors are in a holding pattern, waiting to see if their power stays on. PG&E says a Public Safety Power Shutoff is possible for parts of Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties between now and tomorrow in response to rising wildfire risk.

"We have a generator, so when we get these notices we make sure we have all our extension cords and all the gas we need," said Jenna McCormick from Calistoga.

VIDEO: PG&E warns power shutoff in Napa Co. due to strong winds

About 200 customers have been notified by PG&E about a possible public safety power shutoff in Napa county on Sunday.

McCormick has a generator ready to go in case the power goes out to her family's Calistoga Home. She's received alerts from PG&E and Napa County about the possibility of a Public Safety Power Shutoff or PSPS, due to a rising wildfire risk.

"I thought they were going to do it this morning, so we charged all the portable chargers, went through the checklists. They haven't turned it off yet," McCormick added.

It was a windy Sunday in Calistoga. PG&E said it was still monitoring gusty conditions hour by hour, ready to notify several hundred impacted customers, if need be.

"We've been in touch with them, to let them know. We don't want to shut off the power so we'll wait til the very last minute to give them go or no go, we know how going without power impacts our customers, so we use it as a tool of last resort," said PG&E spokesperson Deanna Contreras.

Firefighters say a wind advisory has been in effect this weekend, but no red flag weather watch has been called.

"Regardless, we still want the community to be prepared, no rain in sight. All it takes is one spark, and we could wind up with a significant incident, with how dry things continue to get," said Santa Rosa Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

Back in Calistoga McCormick was watching the weather, hoping for the best.

"Fingers crossed, thank you," she said.

VIDEO: Meteorologist Lisa Argen has your Sunday forecast