What to know about possible power outages, fire danger in Ventura County
With gusty Santa Ana winds in the forecast, Southern California Edison announced Friday that it may shut off power in case of hazardous conditions.
The forecast calls for windy and dry conditions from late Saturday night through Tuesday. Gusts from the northeast could reach 35 to 50 mph in parts of the county and up to 60 mph in some of the windiest spots.
"It's our first pretty big Santa Ana event of the year," said John Dumas, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
The strongest winds are expected Sunday. Gusts likely will drop off slightly Monday and drop a bit more on Tuesday.
"It will be windy for a good couple of days," Dumas said.
First significant Santa Ana event of the season will result in very low humidities and gusty winds across the region Sunday through Tuesday. A Fire weather watch was issued for late Saturday night through Monday evening. #cawx #LAWeather #SoCal pic.twitter.com/ChJ9bQmjPM
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 26, 2023
Edison will monitor circuits throughout the region during the dry and windy weather, officials said. Power in those areas could be shut off to prevent electrical equipment from sparking a fire – outages called Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS.
As of Friday, monitored areas included 158,000 customers. Of those, 39,501 customers were in Ventura County. Local areas included spots around Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura and Ojai.
Gusty winds and low humidities can mean wildfires start easier and spread faster. Much of the county likely will be under a fire weather watch during the Santa Anas, but not a red flag warning. Such a warning typically is issued for more hazardous conditions.
But a red flag warning may be issued for parts of Los Angeles County and the Santa Susana Mountains, which stretch into local areas near Simi Valley, Dumas said.
The Ventura County sheriff's Office of Emergency Services has updated its website with areas being monitored for possible outages. The website will continue to be updated throughout the incident, OES Director Patrick Maynard said.
Authorities urged residents to prepare for possible outages ahead of time. Before an outage, people who need electricity for a medical device can call 211 for assistance.
More information about potential power shut offs is available at sce.com/psps. Local information about any outages is available at vcemergency.com.
To sign up for emergency alerts from the Office of Emergency Services, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert/.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Dry, gusty weather could bring hazardous conditions, power outages
