For the second time this month, PG&E has announced a Public Safety Power Shutoff in portions of Santa Clara County and Morgan Hill in response to heightened weather and fire risks. The shutoff, if necessary, is slated to begin some time Saturday, Oct. 26.
The City of Morgan Hill sent out the following press release warning residents of the shutoff and advising on preparations:
As many of you are aware, PG&E has informed us that portions of Morgan Hill may be impacted by a large-scale PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff. Based on the information currently available, the shutoff may begin at some point tomorrow, Saturday, October 26, 2019.
- Refer to www.pge.com/pspsupdates or call 1-800-743-5002 for the most recent updates. It is suggested to enter your specific address to determine if you are within the impacted area.
- Make sure that you are signed up to receive notifications directly from PG&E about Public Safety Power Shutoffs. You will need your PG&E account information to do this.
- The City of Morgan Hill reminds all community members to be responsible for their own emergency preparedness. Be aware of neighbors who are elderly, people with disabilities, or who otherwise might be more likely to need help. For emergencies, please call 911.
Information on Preparedness
- Be prepared to be without power for up to 5-7 days. Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies, cash, and fully charged mobile devices with backup batteries on hand. Please review PG&E’s recommendations for how to prepare now.
- Stock up on emergency food and water. Prepare your emergency plan, especially for medication that needs to be refrigerated.
- Fuel your vehicles now as gas stations can’t pump gas without electricity.
- Know how to open your garage door without power or park your vehicles outside.
- Assume all power lines are still energized. It’s also important to understand how to safely operate your generator before an emergency occurs. You can learn more tips on the safe use of generators at PG&E’s Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com.
- Use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. Unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.
- Please call 911 only for emergencies, not to get information. For information regarding the City of Morgan Hill’s services during a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff please call (669) 201-2565, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Information Regarding City Services
- Traffic signals in the outage area may be without power. Every intersection with traffic signals out or flashing red should be treated as a four-way stop. As you approach the intersection, come to a stop and look carefully before proceeding to ensure that your fellow drivers are also coming to a stop.
- The City is planning to maintain water and sewer service during the outage by using emergency generators. Emergency generators will have a noise impact. We do not currently anticipate water or sewer service outages.
- If you get your water from a private well or rely on a privEnate pumping system to serve your residence or business, your water and sewer service may be interrupted.
Please be aware that all scheduled meetings and events for the weekend ahead are subject to cancellation based upon the event location and if it is impacted by an outage.
