SMUD restores power to most users after outage hits 1,500 customers during California heat

More than 1,500 Sacramento Municipal Utility District customers unexpectedly lost power Tuesday afternoon in eastern Sacramento and the Arden Arcade section of Sacramento County.

SMUD reported the outage at 1:33 p.m. and said there was a downed power line, according to SMUD’s power outage map. Power was restored to the majority of those customers within an hour and a half, according to the utility.

More than 50 customers were without power more than two hours from the start of the blackout. Anyone without power should have it back by 8 p.m. — which means some users will go nearly seven hours without service.

The areas affected include the Sacramento city neighborhoods of Campus Commons and Sierra Oaks, which suffered an outage for about an hour Monday when a tree came in contact with a power line.

Sacramento’s latest power outage comes in the middle of California’s days-long heat wave, as residents continue to strain the power grid for relief from the blistering heat. Temperatures in Sacramento are expected to near 115 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

If you find yourself in a blackout at home, turn off your electronics and keep your fridge or freezer closed, according to previous Bee reporting. If it gets too warm in your home, find a cooling center to wait out the power outage.

This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 1:55 PM.