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Many Redwood City residents spent the night in the cold Tuesday after high winds blew down trees and power lines, causing much of the city to go dark.
More than 64,000 PG&E customers in the Bay Area remain without power Wednesday morning amid high winds that started to blow through the region a day earlier, according to the utility.
About 44,500 customers along the Peninsula are without power, more than two-thirds of the total affected customers in the Bay Area, PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said.
There are about 11,000 customers in the South Bay dealing with outages, along with about 4,800 in the East Bay, 2,600 in the North Bay and 1,400 in San Francisco, Sarkissian said.
Downed trees and power lines were reported throughout the region as strong winds arrived Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the Bay Area that is in effect through 1 p.m. Wednesday, and high wind warnings have been issued along coastal parts of the region.
Across Redwood City, the PG&E outage map glowed bright orange indicating the thousands of Redwood City residents who remained without power Wednesday. Outages in Redwood City are affecting almost every major neighborhood, including Friendly Acres, Farm Hill, Palm Park, Redwood Oaks, Woodside Plaza and Redwood Village.
Redwood City firefighters responded to more than 140 service calls on Tuesday, according to a post on Instagram. Firefighters shared photos, which included toppled trees and a roof that had flown off its home.
The Redwood City Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday was called off 30 minutes into the scheduled start time of 6 p.m. Commissioners instead voted to reschedule the meeting to March 7.
Downed trees and power lines have been reported throughout the region, and people are advised to use extra caution while driving, especially in taller vehicles.
Neighbors shared videos of fallen trees near homes across Redwood City.
Redwood City police are dealing with multiple fallen trees and signal light outage calls, the department said in a news release.
Police said high winds are to blame for the power outages and are reminding motorists to exercise caution when driving through an intersection with a non-functioning signal light. They should be treated as 4-way stop signs.
“We encourage customers to prepare for the storm now,” said Angie Gibson, vice president of PG&E Emergency Preparedness & Response. “Have an emergency plan in case you lose power and update your contact information on PG&E’s website so we can provide you with real-time updates on outages in your neighborhood.”
High winds are also affecting both the Stanford and Stanford Redwood City campuses. Officials at Stanford are reporting a power outage affecting portions of the Redwood City campus. There is currently no estimated time of restoration, officials said. The rooftop pool and outdoor fitness garden at Stanford Redwood City Recreation Wellness Center have also been closed Tuesday, officials said in a tweet. Aqua Fitness is canceled as well.
The city said it is aware that heavy winds have caused some downed trees and power outages and has offered tips on what to do if residents are experiencing downed power lines or outages.
Here's what to do if you have or observe power outages or see a downed power line ⬇️
Pacific Gas and Electric Company advises:
If you smell natural gas, see downed power lines, or suspect another emergency situation, leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1.
Then, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
24-hour Customer Service Line: 1-800-PGE-5000 (1-800-743-5000)
24-hour Power Outage Information Line: 1-800-PGE-5002 (1-800-743-5002)
You can also report outages or downed lines, and learn of potential service restoration times, here: https://www.pge.com/
Bay City News contributed to this report.
