Update: All Power Restored to Customers Impacted by Red Flag Warning

Update: All Power Restored to Customers Impacted by Red Flag Warning

Updated: Tuesday, 1/30 at 9 a.m.

As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday, power was restored to all customers who were de-energized for public safety during the Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service.

As wind speeds subsided, crews patrolled lines to ensure the system was safe before restoring power.

We recognize the inconvenience of being without power and truly appreciate your patience and understanding.

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Updated: Monday, 1/29 at 9 a.m.

With winds forecasted to die down this afternoon in eastern San Diego County, SDG&E crews are mobilizing to patrol power lines to determine if it’s safe to restore power to communities that were de-energized over the weekend to ensure public safety for the entire region.

Isolated pockets, such as Potrero in southeast San Diego County, could still experience wind gusts in the 40-55 mph range this morning, according to weather forecasts. However, by noon, winds are expected to begin to subside.

Once weather conditions have improved and the power lines have been fully inspected by SDG&E field personnel for safety, we will restore power to affected customers. As of 7 a.m. this morning, approximately 2,400 customers were affected by de-energization.

It is important to remember that improved weather conditions is not the only factor that determines whether a line is safe to re-energize. Restoring power to customers can be a long process.

The restoration process includes recording reduced wind speeds for a sustained period, then allowing 4-8 hours of daylight for our field crews to patrol the line to make a safety assessment. When patrolling, crews are looking for safety hazards like downed lines, debris or tree branches caught on the line.

SDG&E has three helicopters on standby to perform the safety patrols in rural, mountainous areas. In addition, we have 11 contract wildland fire trucks with trained firefighting personnel staged in the areas where the highest wind gusts are expected.

We understand how inconvenient power outages are. Please be assured that our crews are committed to restoring power as safely and as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Mobile Customer Care Centers

To continue supporting our customers  who are experiencing prolonged power outages during these Red Flag Warning weather conditions, we will maintain mobile customer care centers at two locations in eastern San Diego County.

The following services are available at both locations: Wi-Fi, potable water, snacks, charging station for mobile devices, and information regarding the outage. An SDG&E representative will be on-site to answer your questions.

Lake Morena County Park
2550 Lake Morena Drive
Campo, CA 91906
Hours of Operation: Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Jess Martin County Park
2955 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036
Hours of Operation: Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

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Updated: Sunday, 1/28 at 8 p.m. 

As high winds, extreme weather, high temperatures, dry vegetation and low humidity continue in select areas of the region, creating the potential for dangerous fire conditions, SDG&E remains focused on public safety. Weather stations have already recorded winds as high as 89 mph in places like Sill Hill, a community just north of Descanso.  As of late Sunday afternoon, approximately 2,600 customers have been de-energized for safety, affecting portions of the following communities:

  • Live Oak Springs, Boulevard, Jacumba, Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, Morena Village, West Descanso, Boulder Creek, Valley Center, Rincon, Pauma Valley, Rincon La Jolla Indian Reservation, Hell Hole Canyon, La Jolla Reservation, Mesa Grande, Santa Isabel, Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw.

Restoring power to customers can be a time-consuming process, but safety remains the number one priority. The restoration process includes recording reduced wind speeds for a sustained period, then allowing 4-8 hours of daylight for SDG&E field crews to patrol the line deeming it safe to re-energize. Crews were able to safely restore power to 600 customers as of late Sunday afternoon.

Mobile Customer Care Centers

To better support our customers who are experiencing prolonged power outages during these Red Flag Warning weather conditions, we established mobile customer care centers at two locations in eastern San Diego County.

The following services are available at both locations: Wi-Fi, potable water, snacks, charging station for mobile devices, and information regarding the outage. An SDG&E representative will be on-site to answer your questions.

Lake Morena County Park
2550 Lake Morena Drive
Campo, CA 91906
Hours of Operation: Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Jess Martin County Park
2955 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036
Hours of Operation: Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Preparing for an Outage

  • Be prepared. Because power outages are more likely during windy conditions, we are encouraging customers to be prepared with flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, and a phone that does not require electricity.
  • We are also reminding customers to always be aware of the potential for downed power lines due to the winds. Never touch a downed power line and assume that all electrical lines are energized all the time. Call 911 or SDG&E to report a downed power line.
  • We encourage customers who live in the areas where the high winds are forecast to be strongest to monitor SDG&E’s weather page for real-time updates on conditions at sdgeweather.com.

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Updated: Sunday, 1/28 at 2 p.m. 

As high winds, extreme weather, high temperatures, dry vegetation and low humidity continue in select areas of the region, creating the potential for dangerous fire conditions, SDG&E remains focused on public safety. Weather stations have already recorded winds as high as 89 mph in places like Sill Hill, a community just north of Descanso.  As of Sunday morning, areas that are experiencing some of the strongest wind gusts have been de-energized for safety, affecting portions of the following communities:

  • Live Oak Springs, Boulevard, Jacumba, Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, Morena Village, West Descanso, Boulder Creek, Valley Center, Rincon, Pauma Valley, Rincon La Jolla Indian Reservation, Hell Hole Canyon, La Jolla Reservation, Mesa Grande, Santa Isabel, Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw.

Current forecasts are indicating that the winds will begin to subside Monday afternoon. Once weather conditions have improved and weather-affected power lines have been fully patrolled by SDG&E field personnel, we will begin to restore power to impacted customers.

It’s important to remember that improved weather conditions is not the only factor that determines a line safe to re-energize. Restoring power to customers can be a time-consuming process, but safety remains the number one priority. The restoration process includes recording reduced wind speeds for a sustained period, then allowing 4-8 hours of daylight for SDG&E field crews to patrol the line deeming it safe to re-energize.

Mobile Customer Care Centers

To better support our customers who are experiencing prolonged power outages during these Red Flag Warning weather conditions, we established mobile customer care centers at two locations in eastern San Diego County.

The following services are available at both locations: Wi-Fi, potable water, snacks, charging station for mobile devices, and information regarding the outage. An SDG&E representative will be on-site to answer your questions.

Lake Morena County Park
2550 Lake Morena Drive
Campo, CA 91906
Hours of Operation: Sunday, 1/28 and Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
[Wi-Fi may be very limited at this location]

Jess Martin County Park
2955 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036
Hours of Operation: Sunday, 1/28 and Monday, 1/29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Preparing for an Outage

  • Be prepared. Because power outages are more likely during windy conditions, we are encouraging customers to be prepared with flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, and a phone that does not require electricity.
  • We are also reminding customers to always be aware of the potential for downed power lines due to the winds. Never touch a downed power line and assume that all electrical lines are energized all the time. Call 9-1-1 or SDG&E to report a downed power line.
  • We encourage customers who live in the areas where the high winds are forecast to be strongest to monitor SDG&E’s weather page for real-time updates on conditions at www.sdgeweather.com.

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Friday, January 26: Red Flag Warning in Effect Saturday through Monday

With warmer temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds in the forecast for this weekend and early next week, our region will be at an elevated risk for wildfires. At SDG&E, we will be activating our Emergency Operations Center to closely monitor the status of our system to ensure public safety.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of San Diego and Orange Counties for Saturday, Jan. 27 through Monday, Jan. 29. Wind gusts are expected to reach 40–60 mph in San Diego’s eastern communities, with temperatures in the 80s and 90s west of the mountains. The strongest winds are anticipated for Sunday and Monday.

Our team of meteorologists will be tracking conditions and providing the latest information to our fire coordinators and field crews, who will be working in contact with regional first responders like CAL FIRE and San Diego Fire-Rescue, to ensure our system is operating safely throughout the weather event.

Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best

While we work around the clock to maintain the safety and reliability of our power grid, we also want to remind customers that if conditions threaten the integrity of our system, we will need to turn off the power in the interest of public safety.

For the safety and comfort of your family, we want to remind our customers to prepare for an outagewith the following items:

  • Battery-powered emergency lighting (or flashlights, at a minimum)
  • A portable or battery-powered radio
  • A wind-up or battery-powered clock
  • Water and nonperishable foods
  • Animal and pet food
  • A first aid kit
  • A cellphone with a portable charging device
  • Gas for generators

We also want to remind customers to always be aware of the potential for downed power lines due to strong winds. Always assume a fallen power line is live and never touch the line or anything that is in contact with it. If you see a downed power line, call 911 or SDG&E at 800-411-7343 to report the situation.

For the latest weather conditions in your area, visit SDGEweather.com, and for our latest news and additional safety tips visit us at SDGEnews.com/safe.