Dangerous winds & Red Flag conditions could mean power loss in the local area

With Southern California experiencing dangerous high winds, fire activity and Red Flag conditions, residents may lose power, according to Southern California Edison (SCE).

“Due to public safety concerns, SCE may also turn off power to specific circuits in areas where there is a high risk of predicted extreme winds,” said the company’s Karalee Darnell in an email to the City of Mission Viejo.

When SCE turns off power to a circuit, it considers wind speeds higher than historical averages, humidity levels and other conditions.  The circuit will be reenergized when wind speeds are reduced and the circuit is assessed, which may include a physical inspection, she said.  If a circuit is turned off at night, it won’t be reenergized until daylight hours.

Forecasts indicate continued and worsening weather conditions in Southern California for the remainder of the week. If outages do occur, the power will stay off until SCE personnel can patrol and inspect lines before returning them to service so power can be safely restored.

“We share your priority to protect public safety, and we understand the inconvenience of turning off electric service … We are making every effort to reach out to customers in affected areas to make them aware in advance of shutting off power,” she said.

Residential and business customers can learn more about power outages at SCE.com/outages.