SAN DIEGO–Due to a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas and Electric has notified approximately 2,700 customers in the east county of potential power shutoffs this weekend.
Communities that received the warnings were: Alpine, Campo Reservation, Crestwood, Descanso, Julian, La Posta Reservation, Manzanita Reservation, Pala, Santa Ysabel, Santa Ysabel Reservation, Valley Center and Viejas Reservation.
“The last thing we want to be telling any of our customers right now is that we may have to shut off power given the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the ongoing COVID pandemic,” said SDG&E’s Chief Customer Officer Scott Crider. “Public Safety Power Shutoffs are a last resort to prevent wildfires, and our employees are dedicated to doing everything we can to minimize impacts should it come to that. We’re hoping Mother Nature cooperates, but in an abundance of caution we have reached out to our customers so they can be prepared.”
Several hundred SDG&E linemen, troubleshooters and support personnel will be working through the holiday weekend to ensure that power can be restored as quickly and as safely as possible, should safety power shutoffs occur.
The Red Flag Warning will be in effect through 9 a.m. Saturday for San Diego County inland valleys and mountains. Moderate strength Santa Ana winds are expected in typically wind prone, isolated pockets of the backcountry. The strongest winds are forecasted to arrive on Friday, and the weather would likely remain breezy through Saturday. In preparation, SDG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor conditions 24/7 and has organized personnel and pre-staged materials and equipment for response.
A list of areas at risk of power shutoffs, along with information on Community Resource Centers that may be available in affected areas, can be found at sdge.com/ready. SDG&E will continue to provide customers with updates via phone, text messages, email, social media, sdge.com, and the Alerts by SDG&E mobile app.
