Staff Reports
Eastvale – Several communities in the city spent their Thanksgiving in the dark this year after Southern California Edison (SCE) shut down the power.
Some areas of Eastvale had their power shut off starting on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and others had it shut off on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25. SCE said the reason was due to high winds in the area that could potentially cause wildfires.
“When there is a high risk for a wildfire, we may temporarily shut off power to your neighborhood to prevent our electric system from becoming the source of ignition,” states the SCE website. “Use the interactive map to search affected areas, as well as the locations of our Community Crew Vehicles and Community Resource Centers.”
Several community members went to social media to express their frustration with the power outage. Many posted the inconsistent updates SCE sent. First, SCE sent out an update that there may be a potential power outage, but it was sent after the power was already turned off. Then SCE gave a time of when the power would turn back on, but the time they gave had already passed by the time the notification was received.
Others expressed their frustration with Thanksgiving plans ruined, food being spoiled, batteries dying, and the lack of communication from SCE ahead of time. Many also said they lived in the community for years and witnessed higher winds than that evening, so they were confused on why SCE shut the power off for so long.
The City of Eastvale posted a link to the map with the areas affected and stated, “SCE will restore power as soon as the weather conditions permit, and crews have inspected the power lines. Changes to weather, line damage, and other conditions may require additional time before service can be safely restored.” They stated that this was not a planned outage, and it was solely due to the high winds. They also stated they could not do anything to turn the power back on since it was done by SCE.
However, the City did try to help the community by opening City Hall to the public so they can charge their electronic devices. This gesture was greatly appreciated by the community. Other members posted on social media that their home was open for those that needed to cook their turkey since their power was not out at the time.
Some community members made the best of the situation by using an ice chest to keep their food cold or a generator to obtain power. Many community members simply changed their Thanksgiving plans by going with family, friends, or to an open restaurant. Others stayed home and had a candlelit dinner with the foods they were able to make or buy. But ultimately, the power came back on later that Thanksgiving evening for some and the next day for many others.
For future power outages, it is highly recommended that you sign up for text or email updates on the SCE website at http://www.sce.com. To review wildfire safety, please visit http://www.sce.com/wildfire. For additional questions, you can contact SCE at 1-800-655-4555.