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Santa Clara County ARES®/RACES

2019-10-26 PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

Update: 2019-10-29 12:00

Service was been restored to approximately 75% of Santa Clara County PG&E customers.

Update: 2019-10-28 11:05

Inspections, repairs and restoration began at approximately 08:00 today, Monday, 10/28. PG&E expects to be able to restore power within 24 to 48 hours.

Update: 2019-10-28 09:30

Inspections for power restoration in Santa Clara County were scheduled to begin today, 10/28, at 08:00.

Prior to re-energizing, PG&E crews will work to visually inspect each mile of the impacted power lines to ensure they are free from damage and safe to energize. Inspections will take place during daylight hours and, in most cases, PG&E expects to be able to restore power within 24 to 48 hours after extreme weather has passed. For more information, call the PG&E customer service line at 1-800-743-5000. Please also check PG&E’s social media accounts for more information on how to prepare before and during a power outage:

  • Facebook: @pacificgasandelectric
  • Twitter: @PGE4Me

Update: 2019-10-26 17:30

The timing continues to be fluid as the weather forecast changes. Here is the latest for Santa Clara County from the 17:30 PG&E call:

  • De-energization Start: 10/26/2019 ~20:00
  • De-energization Complete / Weather Start: 10/26/2019 ~23:59
  • All Clear (end of weather event): 10/28/2019 ~08:00
  • Re-energization: TBD

Wind speeds in Santa Clara County are projected to be 35-45 MPH, with gusts of 55-65 MPH.

Community Resource Centers:

  • East San Jose (Opens 10/27 08:00): East Valley Family YMCA, 1975 S White Road
  • Gilroy (Opens 10/27 08:00): Costco, 7251 Camino Arroyo

Update: 2019-10-26 14:00

As of the 14:00 PG&E update, there are now 6 “timeframes” and Santa Clara County falls into Timeframe 4. The current forecast is:

  • De-energization: 10/26/2019 20:00
  • All Clear: 10/28/2019 08:00
  • Re-energization: TBD

See below for the meaning of the above terms. As always, the weather can change.

Update: 2019-10-26 10:00

De-energization: As with the previous PSPS, there will be several waves of shutoffs as the weather moves from North to South. Santa Clara County is expected to be in the 3rd wave of shutoffs. PG&E estimates that approximately 27,093 customers will be impacted in Santa Clara County.

Predicted start time for shutoff in Santa Clara County: Saturday, Oct 26th, 19:00

Duration: The weather (high winds, low humidity) that is causing the dangerous situation is expected to last longer than the previous PSPS. Therefore, the outage time is expected to be longer than the previous PSPS. The “All Clear” designation indicates the end of the weather conditions.

Predicted All Clear for Santa Clara County: Monday, Oct 28th, 14:00

Re-Energization: This wind event is expected to be more severe than the previous PSPS event. So more damage is expected to occur. After the All Clear, PG&E will begin to inspect the transmission and distribution lines and repair any damage that they discover. The time to restoration of power depends on inspection time plus repair time, which can vary, depending on location, time of day (inspection at night is much slower), and degree of damage.

Predicted Re-energization time for Santa Clara County: will vary depending on damage found

As always, the above dates and times and the areas affected can change as the weather changes.

For More Info: To look up your address, view maps, and see other information, visit PG&E Main Alerts Page

Initial Info: 2019-10-25 20:50

PG&E is anticipating a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) starting the evening of Saturday, Oct 26th. Their website currently shows it in Watch status, which their website says means there is a “reasonable chance of executing” the PSPS.

The current prediction is that shutoffs will begin at 18:00 in Northern CA counties and will eventually reach Santa Clara County at approximately 22:00 as the weather moves south. AlertSCC notices were sent out at 16:00 today, Oct 25th, to those in the areas that are predicted to be affected.

To look up your address, view maps, and see other information, visit http://www.pgealerts.com

As always, the weather can change, causing both the time and location of cutoffs to change. Stay tuned to local news.

Key Messages to Amateur Radio Operators

  • Top off your vehicle and generator (if you have one) and obtain cash
    • Gas pumps and ATM machines don’t work without power
  • Charge your batteries (and backup batteries) and test your radios
  • Monitor your local jurisdiction’s web page(s) and the SCCo ARES/RACES web page for more information
  • Follow your local jurisdiction’s amateur radio procedures for alerts and activations
  • Mutual Aid Communicators: If an activation occurs, monitor the Resource Net for more information