Update: Power Outage Impacting Sonora High

PG&E map

Update at 2:15 p.m.: PG&E has pushed back the repair time to 8 p.m. Further details regarding the power outage are below.

Update at 1:15 p.m.: PG&E reports the power has been restored to all but a handful of the more than 472 customers that had been without electricity near downtown Sonora.

The utility relays that a downed power line on Snell Street is to blame for the outage.  The lights went out around 11:30 a.m. for customers in the area that includes Sonora High School, a stretch of North Washington Street/Highway 49, Shaws Flat and Saratoga roads along with McCormick and Elk drives. High School officials tell Clarke Broadcasting that the lights are back on and the campus was without electricity for about an hour.

There remains 11 customers along Snell Street without power. The company has reported a 3 p.m. restoration time.

Sonora High School Principal Ben Howell sent this message to parents:

At approximately 11:30 am today, a power line was knocked down by a tree four blocks north of our campus. As a result, the campus and surrounding neighborhood experienced a brownout, with only patches of power available across the campus. To help preserve our campus infrastructure, we took down all power on campus. The power remained off across the campus through the lunch period. Our food service department was able to serve lunch as regularly scheduled and students were still able to transition between the break period and class without our bell/intercom system. The power was restored on campus at approximately 1:15 pm. Classes were able to continue as normal before, during, and after the outage.

Our campus personnel were able to swiftly address the power issues, all teachers were able to continue the school day with their classes and our students did a fantastic job working with our staff through all of the power glitch. I’m proud of the response and proud that we were able to continue the day with only a few slight hiccups.

Original post at 12:30 p.m.: Sonora, CA — PG&E is reporting a power outage impacting 472 customers near downtown Sonora. The vicinity includes Sonora High School, a stretch of North Washington Street/Highway 49, Shaws Flat and Saratoga roads along with McCormick and Elk drives. The utility relays that crews are on the scene and investigation a cause. The company gives a posted 3 p.m. restoration time.