Intentional SCE Power Outage Leaves Broad Beach In Cold
Written by 991KBU on February 4, 2020
Power outages … intentional and accidental … in the news this morning.
Peak winds of 61 miles per hour at Paradise Cove have caused at least two tree-related power outages.
SCE says 41 customers out at one location, 23 customers at the second.
Power lines to be repaired and service restored by noon, is the estimate. It appears the 88 homes blacked out intentionally on Broad Beach Road are back on line
That’s where 88 homes were blacked out on the coldest night of the year.
Southern California Edison went ahead with a planned maintenance outage … last nigh at 7:30 … despite a windstorm that was predicted to bring temperatures in the 40s and wind gusts of 45 miles per hour.
An official from the utility company said the arrival of the cold weather was too late to call off the project.
More than a dozen workers labored in the night to replace cables … transformers and other equipment in the area.
Much of the work was done underground … but some of it was up on poles.
And all of it was finished early … by 1 in the morning.
Although some residents tell KBUU they were not warned of the planned outage … the power company says they did their best to let everyone know.
But the city was caught by surprise … they were not informed in advance … their first warning went out a half hour after the power had gone off.
Forecasters had predicted the cold winds days in advance … and the lack of power meant that even gas powered heaters had no electric fans.
But the company plunged ahead anyway.
In Los Angeles … 24 thousand LA DWP customers lost power due to accidental wind storm related outages.
Nearly 50 DWP crews were in the field yesterday responding to outages from howling winds.
On the KBUU Facebook page … one resident called it tough timing but said SCE needs to get work done.
Others complained that they were … quote “sitting here in the dark, breaking out the candles and blankets for a very cold night.
“They shouldn’t be allowed to do this to people.”
Close quote.
No comment from the city.
