More than 700 customers were without power in Palo Alto on Saturday night and Sunday morning after a tree fell on a power line, according to Palo Alto Utilities.
The outage in the Crescent Park and Duveneck/St. Francis area was one of several that utility officials were dealing with this weekend, as heavy winds downed trees and power lines in various sections of the city. It initially affected more than 700 customers, though all but about 100 had their power in this area restored by 10:45 p.m. on Saturday. The remainder got their power back by about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the utility.
Utility officials were also dealing with smaller power outages in other neighborhoods early Sunday morning. One outage affected 56 customers on the 300 and 400 blocks of Guinda and Seneca streets and on 800 and 900 blocks of Palo Alto and Lytton avenues. The outage, which was also caused by a tree on power lines, was reported at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and power was restored just before 2 a.m. Sunday, according to City of Palo Alto Utilities.
Winds also blew power lines into a pole in south Palo Alto, taking out power for about 69 customers in the Greer Park and Moffett Circle area at 9:22 p.m. Utility crews repaired that damage and restored power at about 1:05 a.m. Sunday, the utility announced.
At one point on Saturday night, more than 1,500 customers throughout the city were without power, according to the Utility Department's outage map. By 11 a.m. Sunday, power was fully restored in all areas.
City officials warned that another storm is expected to arrive in the area between Sunday night and Tuesday night. While flood risk remains low, residents could see road closures thanks to water ponding on roadways and the possibility of continued power outages due to downed trees, water or wind impacts, according to the city’s announcement.
Comments
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:20 pm
Registered user
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:20 pm
So how is the undergrounding of power lines going? How many more power outages will we have in the next week?
And the very important issue is what is the bottom line on this? How much does it cost our utilities to repair all these outages? How much does it cost in overtime for the line workers? Even if there are no outages, those on call workers need to be paid as they wait. Can we really afford to keep our lines above ground when they are at the mercy of wind, toppling trees, birds and squirrels, balloons, and cars crashing into power poles?
None of this takes into account the cost to customers who are unable to work, to cook, to charge vehicles and devices, etc. No longer is it just "being in the dark" in an outage, but real inconvenience to businesses and residential customers alike.
Where is the cost analysis of this?
Registered user
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Registered user
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:28 pm
What about the second outage?
"3 p.m. — An estimated 106 customers in the 3300 block of Alma Street are without power at this hour, according to the City of Palo Alto’s Utilities Department. The city says that it’s possibly because a bird hit the power lines."
Registered user
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:57 pm
Registered user
on Jan 8, 2023 at 5:57 pm
Thank you to the City crew for restoring our power before we lost contents of freezer and refrigerator!
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Jan 9, 2023 at 12:06 am
Registered user
on Jan 9, 2023 at 12:06 am
This region has spent all thier resources supporting & growing virtual algorithmic Universe. While many, many said SFH “residents” in PA enjoy IPO’s & stock dividends from Apple, HP, Google, FB many, many residents homed & unhomed suffer the ongoing climate. 1982, flashback. Rained 4 10 days strait. No let up. I was a 16 year old teenager. It was tiresome, troublesome. There was flooding in Petaluma. A River town. Yet there was not the unhomed crisis there is today. There was no State Emergency Governor proclamations. It was a downpour, after years of drought.
There was not the unsheltered crisis of now. The massive 172,ooo California un-bound, unhomed. Homeless was a bum in the train yards traveling thru like Woodie Guthrie.
Now our very native California peoples are suffering. Those not “tech” savy. Who “missed the boat” or did not know how to “step up to the plate” or only had Wall Mart plastic strap to beak on a plastic boot to pull. Unless we shipped our own to Mexico, or China, or ... I don’t see how we can make it right.
Spending 80 years to financially support our WWII allies coupled w sending our manufacturing g detail to China has sunk our once grade steel ship. Sacrificing the working class “for a few more dollars” has created a ghastly human hole in our social/financial/work force culture.
I was so shocked 2 learn that Russia/USSR was “listening” in on its citizens in the 70’s/80’s. Now in home dwellings USA; Nest etc . Cameras everywhere Next Door apps, Street camera, Apartment cameras. We, like Russia USSR of the time post WWII are extraordinarily surveilled, recorded, reviewed, played back — all without our knowledge of a citizen/resident of the United States of America. We have no understanding who or how we are watched and listened to. Stores, Banks, Barseven our Multi family dwellings: Condos & rentals alike. With no “smile you’re on Camera” notices.
Our Civil Liberties & r grossly violated w no civil rights!
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Jan 9, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Registered user
on Jan 9, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Electricity outages are the reason some of us want to keep our GAS appliances. I will have hot water and can cook on my gas stove top when the electricity is out. I am unconvinced this "hardly ever happens."
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 9, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Registered user
on Jan 9, 2023 at 5:42 pm
PG&E give text alerts to their customers about outages.
Can PA Utilities give us text alerts with news about our outages?