SCE Folds in 52 MPH Winds, Takes 12 Hours Plus To Restore Cuthbert Circuit, Residents Furious

It took until 2:40 in the morning for Southern California Edison to get the power back on to homes and businesses and traffic lights in the Point Dume and Paradise Cove area.

That was 12 hours after the power company had said weather conditions had improved enough to begin inspecting the circuit for any wind related damages.

And that has infuriated Malibu residents.

There were several minor traffic crashes again … in blacked out intersections yesterday.

City public safety commission member Chris Frost said he had never seen such bad driving in Malibu … with drivers blasting through blacked out traffic lights at 55 miles an hour.

County sheriffs deputies put up a temporary set of stop signs at one dangerous blacked out signal … at Kanan-Dume Road at Pacific Coast Highway.

But those signs were taken out once it became apparent that legal liability would shift from Caltrans to the county if there were a crash there.

And Caltrans has consistently refused to allow Malibu to place temporary stop signs on Pacific Coast Highway.

Instead … Caltrans has painted the backplates at the traffic lights yellow-orange … as if that will somehow remind ignorant drivers that they’re supposed to stop.

Instead … deputies were stationed at the intersection to write tickets to motorists who blew through the signal without stopping.

Southern California Edison blacked out power to more than 59,000 customer accounts.

An additional 147,000 customers across eight counties were under consideration for a shutoff as well.

Most of the blackouts were in the suburbs and farms along the 118 freeway between Simi Valley and Ventura.

And Malibu residents had to get in line and wait for Southern California Edison officials to inspect every inch of powerline before the power could be returned.

That took 12 hours.

It came as Malibu high school students were taking finals … which became impossible when the Internet routers went out.

The schools rushed out statements saying that they would make arrangements for students to make up the work.

Just went kids under lockdown needed … more stress and dislocation.

This was the second intentional power outage in the point doom area within little more than a week.

In both cases Edison failed to give any advance warning … as it is supposed to do under State regulations.

Peak winds in the area … according to measurements made by an Edison wind meter … were only 47 mph … making that a somewhat weak Santa Ana as Santa Anas go.

And the winds died down to less than 25 miles an hour at 10:30 ten thirty in the morning … and die down to 5 miles an hour by one in the afternoon.

Nevertheless Edison was not able to complete inspections and restore power until three in the morning.

As of last night … a spokesman for the company did not have any explanation as to why the point doom area was being singled out for these sudden intentional blackouts … seemingly at random … in moderate Santa Anas.

Residents who’s groceries spoiled or had other negative impacts can file a claim for reimbursement on the Southern California Edison website.

And the people whose cars crashed because the lights went out? 

They can try to file a claim also.