If you live in Marin, Alameda, or Contra Costa County, you may be noticing that it’s dry, windy, and hotter than usual.
To reduce the risk of wildfires, PG&E is scheduling power shutoffs in vulnerable areas. About 8,000 residents across the state may lose power for about 20 hours, from this afternoon until at least 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Here in the Bay, this will affect nearly 2,000 people in and around Mill Valley, plus about 150 residents across pockets of Alameda and Contra Costa.
KALW spoke to Marin County’s Director of Emergency Management, Steven Torrence. "This is the first public safety power shutoff in seven years here in Marin County," says Torrence.
Since the last shut off, Torrence says the county has worked hard to improve communication with residents in Spanish and English.
PG&E customers should get notifications from the company. Marin residents should get notifications from Alert Marin via text message, email, and phone call.
If you don’t live in the county, you can sign up for notifications at emergency.marincounty.gov.
If you need to charge devices today, the Mill Valley Community Center is open until 10:00 p.m. tonight.
For people who rely on powered medical devices, Torrence says, "We encourage people to ensure that PG&E knows that they are a medical baseline customer, which can be done directly through PG&E."
The company uses that information to provide backup batteries and generators to people who need them.
Torrence also encourages people to take proactive steps to prepare for wildfires and power outages. ReadyMarin.org has tool kits and checklists.
