PG&E Power Shutoffs: What You Need To Know

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Approximately 24,000 customers in Butte, Nevada and Yuba Counties had their power turned off Monday evening as part of PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff.

Here is what you need to know about the shutoffs.

WHERE IS AFFECTED?

As of Monday evening, the following cities were affected by the power shutoffs:

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

It's not clear exactly how long the blackouts will last because PG&E has to wait until an "all-clear" on the Red Flag Warning. PG&E expects to get that clearance around 9 a.m. Tuesday.

After getting the all-clear, crews then need to patrol the areas and make any repairs necessary before restoring power. This process can take several hours after they are cleared to restore power.

Brandi Merlo, spokesperson for PG&E said, "We have crews and helicopters prepared and ready to patrol as soon as it is safe to do so."

According to the PG&E website, "We expect to be able to visually inspect the system for damage and restore power to most of our customers within 24 to 48 hours after extreme weather has passed. Because extreme weather can last several hours or days, for planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for outages that could last longer than 48 hours."

COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS

The utility will open several locations for affected customers Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.

The centers will be open during daylight hours only and will provide restrooms, bottled water, electronic-device charging and air-conditioned seating for up to 100 customers each. The centers are located at:

Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds
303 Sacramento Street
Auburn, CA 95603

Sierra College Grass Valley Campus
250 Sierra College Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945

14144 Lakeridge Circle
Magalia, CA 95954

Harrison Stadium parking lot
Third and Mitchell avenues
Oroville, CA 95965

Oregon House
9185 Marysville Road
Oregon House, CA 95935

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Red Flag Warning is in effect until Wednesday, and PG&E says they are tracking a similar weather event in the same nine-county region for Tuesday evening.

Elevated fire risk is forecasted to begin around 7 p.m. Tuesday and last until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Butte County, Nevada County, Yuba County, El Dorado County, Lake County, Sutter County, Napa County, Placer County and Sonoma County are at risk for a Public Safety Power Shutoff Tuesday afternoon. PG&E will make that decision late Tuesday morning.

Customers are encouraged to keep their contact information at www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours.

For more information, visit the PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff information website.