SMUD, PG&E outages: Storm knocks out power to customers in Northern California

Just like during the strong storms of early January, winds played havoc with electricity lines for customers in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and in Pacific Gas and Electric territory.

Just after 2:30 a.m., SMUD reported nearly 14,000 homes and businesses had lost power in the areas of Carmichael and Rancho Cordova. Roughly 6,500 SMUD customers across Sacramento County were without power due to 31 outages as of 4 a.m., with the second-largest outage in Citrus Heights (1,458).

By 8 a.m., most customers had been restored — about 1,500 homes and businesses remained disconnected.

Across the capital region in PG&E territory, roughly 7,000 customers in Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties were offline around 4 a.m., about a tenth of all outages across the utility’s service area.

The largest outages in the capital region included more than 2,000 customers in Olivehurst and 2,400 homes and businesses in Yuba City. Granite Bay also had nearly 1,400 ratepayers without power.

Farther north, 4,900 customers in Butte County were offline, according to PG&E.

The widest outages statewide, according to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, were reported in Lake County where over 30,000 homes and business were in the dark.

How to track power outages

PG&E customers can also check for outages online with their addresses.

If you’re a SMUD customer, you can track power outages in your area online by entering your address.

How to report a power outage

If you experience an outage or know of one, you can report the outage online or through the SMUD app. PG&E customers can also report outages through their accounts online.

“(O)ur crews are ready to restore any outages that may occur, both quickly and safely,” VanLangingham said.

How to prepare for power outages

To prepare for potential blackouts, you can create an emergency kit, which includes water, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.

During the January’s winter storm, SMUD advised that you do not heat your house with propane heaters, grills or barbecues because this can produce carbon monoxide.

You should go to a warming center if it is too cold and also disconnect appliances, keep your fridge closed and stay updated with local alerts.

According to ready.gov, a national emergency preparedness service, power can return momentarily in spikes or surges and cause damage to appliances. The national service stated that a refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours and a freezer will maintain cool temperatures for about 48 hours.

The Red Cross recommends checking weather or updates from your energy provider to stay updated with local alerts and warning systems.

If you know there’s possible outages in your area, you can prepare by:

• Talking to your doctor and preparing any medications or medical devices that need to use electricity or have to be refrigerated.
• Stocking your home with non-perishable food and water, the Red Cross advised. You may also want to plan to use a cooler and ice to keep perishable food cold.
• Installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 7:50 AM.