Nearly 85K SMUD customers without power due to powerful winds

A strong storm system is bearing down on the Sacramento region, where wind gusts reached 65 mph at times. Powerful winds have been knocking down trees, and in some areas, power lines.

Hundreds of thousands of people lost power in the Sacramento area. At about 7:15 p.m., the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) app reported that more than 204,000 customers were without power.

The number of customers impacted has since gone down to 84,662 customers, with 1,086 outages as of about 10:30 p.m.

Sometime around 4:15 pm., the SMUD Outage Center website went down. A SMUD spokesperson said the SMUD App was still working and customers could get more information about outages there. At about 9:30 p.m., the website was back up and running.

In a news release Sunday night, the utility company said it has identified more than 60 downed lines, dozens of downed power poles and numerous trees impact equipment. It expects those numbers to grow as the assessment continues.

SMUD said it will have more than 80 crews working around the clock to assess damage, make repairs and restore power. It said when wind gusts happen, it makes it unsafe for crews to make repairs. Those crews will continue to work throughout the night to make sure areas impacted are safe.

Some outages will continue overnight. SMUD said it is contacting customers whose power may be out overnight.

SMUD urges people who encounter a downed power line to stay clear and immediately dial 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) or 911.

Here’s what to do if you come across a downed power line. Stay clear and immediately dial 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) or 911. Assume the line is energized, warn others to stay back and never touch it. Fallen debris near power lines poses an electric shock risk. Stay safe! pic.twitter.com/RacYMcKLT1

— SMUD (@SMUDUpdates) February 4, 2024

According to PG&E’s outage map, there are tens of thousands of customers also without power. You can see PG&E’s outage map, here.

The National Weather Service advising folks to prepare for possible power outages, difficult driving conditions and downed trees, similar storm damage to previous years.

Officials are advising people to prepare for power outages by having things like flashlights handy and charging their electronic devices. And for the driving conditions, be aware of downed trees.