11780 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito CA 94530 510-231-8686 
eUpdate - October 8, 2019 

Helpful Hints for PG&E Shut off 
P.G.&E. plans to cut power for parts of Contra Costa

PG&E announced Tuesday afternoon it will shut off power in communities across Northern California due to escalated fire risk from high winds and dry conditions. The outage, a preventative measure, is scheduled to start after 12 am on Wednesday, October 9.

The power will be turned off to communities in stages, depending on local timing of the severe wind conditions, beginning with counties in the northern part of the state.

Slated outage areas in western Contra Costa County include parts of Richmond, El Sobrante, Pinole, El Cerrito, and all of Kensington.   Other parts of the County are also affected including Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, and parts of Walnut Creek, Concord, Baypoint and Pittsburg.

This could change, depending on weather conditions.

For an updated map and other information check  PG&E's outage update webpage,  but the site is struggling to keep up with use, and might be slow or cut off. Keep trying!  

See below for Tuesday afternoon PG&E map of affected areas. 

PG&E's 24 hour power outage number is: 1-800-743-5002


Power restoration may take one to five days.  Some areas that aren't in a high fire risk area may also be affected due to the configuration of power lines. 

Residences, schools, and local businesses in outage areas may be impacted.  Find out what you can do now in Preparing for a Power Outage in (English PDF) and (Spanish PDF) 

Schools: 
If power is shut off at a West Contra Costa school, that school will be closed. Based on PG&E's current outage plan, power may be shut off to Pinole Valley High School; Korematsu Middle School; Kensington, Olinda, Collins and Ellerhorst elementary schools; and Cameron School

The school district will provide updates to the parents or guardians of all students affected by power outages, once they are confirmed. 


Water:
EBMUD has staged generators at critical facilities  in preparation for the outage. EBMUD strike teams are mobilizing to maintain continuous operations during this period. Customers can check EBMUD's map of affected areas to  determine if they will be impacted by the shutoff.

EBMUD is asking customers in affected areas to conserve water by reducing indoor water use and shutting off outdoor irrigation. 

Additional information:
  • For emergencies call 911. 911 will work during an outage. 
  • PG&E says that power outage will not affect gas service. There is no need to shut off the gas.
  • Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) facilities, including Contra Costa Regional Medical and county health centers will not be impacted by the outage. CCHS will continue to provide services during the outage.
  • BART trains will be operating if there is a power shutoff.
  • For additional suggestions for getting through a power outage, check this list from UC Berkeley's Energy Institute at HAAS. 

PG&E map of areas (yellow) in Contra Costa slated for power shut-down.


My office is trying to stay up on the latest power outage information. Don't hesitate to call to see if we can help you or direct you to someone who can. 510-231-8686.



Sincerely,  
John  
John Gioia
Supervisor, District One 
Contra Costa County 
11780 San Pablo Avenue, Suite D 
El Cerrito, CA  94530 
510-231-8686 Phone