Power Company Issues Notice, Mum on Restoration

If you are without power, with downed lines between your homes and still standing power polls, then Southern California Edison urges you to wait inside.

Customers are asked to stay inside to keep away from dangling or downed lines, Dave Ford of Southern California Edison said in a news release. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, 215,086 customers were without service, he said.

The release did not say when Arcadia customers will get their power back, however.

The power company's urgent notice went on to say if residents have downed lines next to their homes, they should call 911 and stay inside until crews can repair the lines.  

"A downed line or dangling wire is dangerous — even if it appears not to be live," Ford said.

Overhead lines will have power turned back on by crews starting in the late afternoon. Customers are asked to stay inside to ensure they stay away from any downed or dangling lines between homes and power poles. A downed line or dangling wire is dangerous — even if it appears not to be live. 

Crews will work along a corridor in the San Gabriel Valley, starting with La Crescenta, and will move to neighboring cities Sierra Madre, Altadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Alhambra and Glendora, Ford said.

Severe winds and debris kept power restoration efforts from happening and some customers without power should prepare to not have power overnight and possibly longer, Ford said.

More power outages could happen tonight, Ford said.

As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the hardest hit areas were San Gabriel, San Bernardino, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, El Monte, La Crescenta, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia and Sierra Madre. 

Also heavily impacted were San Marino, Temple City, El Segundo, Long Beach, Torrance, Upland, Crestline, Barstow and Sun City. 

Safety Suggestions from Southern California Edison:

• If you know someone who is dependent on electrically operated medical equipment, make backup power arrangements in case a power outage affects that equipment.

• Watch for traffic signals that may be down and approach those intersections as four-way stops.

• Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.

• Do not use equipment indoors that is designed for outdoor cooking, including equipment that can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.

• Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep your food as fresh as possible. An unopened refrigerator can keep foods cold enough for a couple of hours. A half full freezer will stay cold for up to 24 hours and a full freezer for 48 hours. If you must eat food that was refrigerated or frozen, check it carefully to see if it spoiled.

• Check on your neighbors, including the elderly, to make sure everyone is safe.

• If you use a generator, put it outside and plug individual appliances directly into the generator, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.