Update: Power Outages In Sonora and Columbia, Also Calaveras County
Update at 3:30 p.m.: PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland tells Clarke Broadcasting, “Regarding the big outage in Sonora, we don’t have a cause yet but across our service area we are seeing many weather-related outages, including lightning strikes.”
In Calaveras County, currently in Rail Road Flat, just one customer remains without power, down from 737. McFarland detailed, “In high fire-threat areas, we have to patrol the entire length of all the affected circuits before power can be restored, due to fire risk.” In West Point, there are 42 customers still without lights, down from 267 customers. The utility has no estimated repair time given for those customers.
Update at 2:20 p.m.: PG&E crews are making progress on outages in Calaveras County stretching from West Point to Mountain Ranch. Originally, 1,550 customers were impacted as the lights went out around 12:35 p.m. That number has dropped to 992. No cause has been given and the restoration time remains 6 p.m. Further details regarding this outage and one that left 2,000 customers in the Sonora and Columbia area without electricity are below.
Update at 1:50 p.m.: All customers in Tuolumne County affected by outages have been restored, according to PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland. There still remains over 1,550 without power in the areas of West Point, Wilseyville, Glencoe, Rail Road Flat, and Mountain Ranch with a restoration time of 6 p.m.
Update at 1:30 p.m.: PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland says the lights are back on in the Columbia and Sonora area. She details “There remains 399 without power in the area between Yankee Hill and the Phoenix Lake-Cedar Ridge area. The estimated repair time is 2:15 p.m. today but that could change. The helicopters are currently patrolling.” McFarland noted that crews are assessing a cause at the outage location, but none has yet been given.
Update at 1:15 p.m.: There are new power outages in Calaveras County impacting nearly 1,550 PG&E customers. The lights went out around 12:35 p.m. stretching from West Point to Mountain Ranch and including, the Wilseyville, Glencoe, and Rail Road Flat areas. The utility relayed that crews are investigating a cause for the outage and give an estimated restoration time of 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, 858 customers in the Yankee Hill and Columbia area remain without electricity since just after seven this morning. The company says crews are assessing a cause at the outage location and give a tentative repair time of 2:15 p.m. This morning that outage also included areas of Sonora as detailed below.
Below stories written by Bj Hansen: Update at 9:25am: PG&E is providing an update on the 2,000 customers without power through Sonora and Columbia.
Company spokesperson Megan McFarland says, “We are investigating the cause of the outages, but we know that due to fire risk we will have to patrol the entire length of all the affected circuits before power can be restored. Customers in these areas should expect low-level helicopter flights as part of our patrol and inspection efforts.”
It is not immediately clear when the inspection efforts will conclude.
Original story posted at 7:50am: Sonora, CA — Multiple power outages this morning are impacting parts of Sonora and Columbia.
Combined, around 2,000 customers lost electricity. The initial customers lost power at around 7:15am and others at 7:28am. PG&E is hoping to get the customers in Sonora restored by about 10am, and the Columbia customers by around 2pm. It is unclear what caused the outages.
