Bay Area storm updates: More than 230K customers affected by power outages

Bay Area storm updates: More than 230K customers affected by power outages

(KRON) – A heavy storm arrived in the Bay Area overnight into Sunday, bringing widespread power outages, flooding and road closures. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected throughout the day Sunday and into Monday.

Follow our live blog for the latest in Bay Area storm updates.

KRON4 Weather Radar

Bay Area storm updates:

Monday, Feb. 5

5:45 a.m. — Fallen tree in Novato causing power outage

Novato police said early Monday morning that a fallen tree shut down a roadway and caused a power outage in the southern part of the city.

According to the Novato Police Department, a tree fell onto Alameda del Prado, between Posada del Sol and Dusel Court. The tree also downed a PG&E pole and lines, affecting power in a portion of southern Novato including the Hamilton neighborhood, police said in an advisory shortly before 4 a.m.

Residents living in the area of Los Robles Road and Dusel Court will not be able to drive from the area until the roadway is cleared, according to police. Alameda del Prado is also closed in both directions between Posada Del Sol and Cielo Lane.

5:35 a.m. — PG&E power outage numbers slightly improve, just over 230K customers affected

According to PG&E, the company has restored approximately 678,000 customers system-wide from Eureka to Bakersfield.

Monday, Feb. 5 – 5 a.m.

Affected Customers

San Francisco

4,791

Peninsula

56,604

North Bay

72,829

East Bay

28,717

South Bay

72,466

Total

235,407

Sunday, Feb. 4

10:35 p.m. — Person riding sailboat in Alameda County taken to hospital

Earlier on Sunday, the Alameda Fire Department responded to a report of a water rescue. Around 10:31 a.m., firefighters rescued one person from a sailboat that hit a rock wall, AFD confirmed to KRON4.

The victim was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The Alameda Police Department, Oakland Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard helped in the rescue.

Photos from the rescue can be viewed in the video below.

10:16 p.m. — East Side Union High School District in San Jose announces school closures due to power outages

The following schools will be closed and classes will be canceled on Monday, Feb. 5.

  • Apollo High School

  • Calero High School

  • Calero-Adult Transition Program South

  • Oak Grove High School

  • W.C. Overfelt High School

  • W.C. Overfelt Adult Center

  • Yerba Buena High School

Other schools in the district not listed above will be open tomorrow for classes. The school district’s full announcement can be viewed here.

10:02 p.m. — Storm causes damage, power outages in San Jose

Strong winds have taken down several trees in San Jose, and thousands remain without power. Residents have reported damage to their homes because of the storm.

KRON4’s Sara Stinson was live in San Jose. Watch her report in the media player below.

10 p.m. — PG&E power outage numbers slightly improve, just over 320K customers affected

Since PG&E’s last update, the number of customers affected has decreased since 7 p.m. It was previously 389,546 customers affected. That number has now dropped to 321,748 customers.

PG&E Customers Affected By Power Outages:

  • San Francisco: 21,259

  • Peninsula: 73,772

  • North Bay: 83,797

  • South Bay: 106,926

    • Total: 321,748

PG&E did not provide an estimated time for when power will be restored.

9:28 p.m. — San Mateo County opens up libraries to charge devices as power remains out

The county is still experiencing widespread power outages due to the storm. Several San Mateo County libraries will be open Monday, Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for residents to charge their devices. See locations below.

  • Brisbane Library

    • 163 Visitacion Ave.

  • East Palo Alto Library

    • 2415 University Ave.

  • Foster City Library

    • 1000 East Hillsdale Blvd.

  • Half Moon Bay Library

    • 620 Correas St.

  • North Fair Oaks Library

    • 2510 Middlefield Road (Redwood City)

7 p.m. — Nearly 390K PG&E customers affected by power outage

Since the last power outage update from PG&E nearly three hours prior, another 100,000 customers have been affected. At 4:30 p.m., the total number of Bay Area customers affected was 105,352. It has now grown to 389,546 customers, according to PG&E.

Number of Customers Affected By Power Outages:

  • San Francisco: 20,031

  • Peninsula: 81,647

  • North Bay: 94,201

  • East Bay: 53,975

  • South Bay: 139,692

    • Total: 389,546

A PG&E outage map can be viewed below (as of 7:20 p.m.)

Map courtesy of PG&E
Map courtesy of PG&E

4:49 p.m. — Winds in San Francisco recorded at more than 40 mph

Around 4 p.m., winds in San Francisco were reportedly 43 mph. Video taken in downtown San Francisco shows trees swaying due to the strong winds. See below.

4:30 p.m. — PG&E: More than 231K customers across Bay Area affected by power outages

As of late Sunday afternoon, a total of 231,352 customers have been affected by power outages, according to PG&E. The South Bay has had the most customers affected at 105,352.

PG&E: Number of Customers Affected By Power Outages:

  • San Francisco: 5,499

  • Peninsula: 67,355

  • North Bay: 42,954

  • East Bay: 9,811

  • South Bay: 105,733

The numbers are updated as of 4 p.m. PG&E did not provide a timeline for when power outages will be resolved.

3:32 p.m. — Power outage on Treasure Island

An estimated 200-300 housing units on Treasure Island have been affected by a power outage, according to the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. The area primarily affected is on the west side of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island.

There is no timetable for when power will be restored, officials said.

2:08 p.m. — Road closure on Highway 84 in San Mateo County

Highway 84 is closed in both directions due to downed power lines caused by the storm, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office announced. Crews are responding to the scene in the area of Friars Lane in Woodside (see map below).

There will also be one-way traffic control for Highway 84 at Skywood Lane, Caltrans said. The agency also announced the closure of Highway 9 at Sanborn Road in Saratoga.

1:50 p.m. — Road closures announced in Novato

With the Flood Warning issued by NWS in effect until Monday 9:30 a.m., the Novato Police Department announced the following road closures.

  • Area of Cherry St/Armstrong Ave- including both entrances to mobile home park

  • Lauren Ave at South Novato Blvd

  • Garden Ct at South Novato Blvd

  • Joan Ave at South Novato Blvd

  • Lamont Ave at Alice St

“Flooding is occurring within lower lying areas of Novato, caused by excessive rainfall,” Novato police said. Novato police tell residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

1:14 p.m. — Large downed tree blocks street near Twin Peaks

A large tree fell and blocked a roadway near Twin Peaks, San Francisco Public Works said on X. The tree is blocking the westbound lanes on Market Street just west of Danvers Street. Officials posted photos of the fallen tree (below).

Market and Danvers is located next to Merritt Park. It is a few blocks west of the Castro District.

(San Francisco Public Works)
(San Francisco Public Works)
(San Francisco Public Works)
(San Francisco Public Works)

1:00 p.m. — 70,000 Bay Area customers have power outages

Power Outages Throughout the Bay Area, according to Pacific Gas and Electric

Feb 4 – 1:00 pm

Affected Customers

San Francisco

497

Peninsula

5,965

North Bay

23,607

East Bay

17,949

South Bay

22,411

Total

70,429

12:00 p.m. — Landslide and fallen trees close Market and 18th streets in SF

Emergency officials in SF advised people should avoid the area of Market and 18th streets due to flooding and a hillside collapse. Westbound Market is blocked by fallen trees. Emergency crews are on scene and traffic delays are expected.

11:57 a.m. — Downed tree closes Petrified Forest Road in Calistoga

The City of Calistoga said at 10:55 a.m. Sunday that Petrified Forest Road is closed in both directions due to a downed tree.

11:55 a.m. — Downed power line closes Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto

Embarcadero Road is temporarily shut down between Louis and Greer roads due to an electrical line down, according to Palo Alto PD. Crews from the Palo Alto Fire Department and Palo Alto Utilities are on scene and working on it.

11:20 a.m. — Highway 9 Closed

Highway 9 at Sanborn Road is closed in both directions due to a mudslide, the California Highway Patrol San Jose announced. There has not been an estimated time for availability.

11:15 a.m. — Ferry service suspended

SF Bay Ferry service has been suspended “indefinitely” due to high winds and rough waters, the ferry service tweeted Sunday morning. “We hope to resume this afternoon,” the tweet read. “Stay tuned and stay safe.”

10:40 a.m. — Highway 1 closed in Santa Cruz

Highway 1 near Santa Cruz County is closed in both directions due to downed power lines, according to Caltrans District 4.

10:34 a.m. — Power outages impact thousands

Power Outages Throughout the Bay Area, according to Pacific Gas and Electric, as of 9:30 a.m.

Feb 4 – 7:45 AM

Affected Customers

San Francisco (SF Division)

1,354

Peninsula (Pen Division)

3,178

North Bay (NB and Sonoma Divisions)

12,054

East Bay (Mission, Diablo, EB Divisions)

4,802

South Bay (De Anza and San Jose Divisions)

22,764

Total

44,152

9:41 a.m. — Fallen tree in Fillmore district

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management asks the public to avoid the area of Fillmore between Golden Gate Avenue and Turk Street due to a fallen tree. There are wires down as well. All of the lanes are currently blocked.

9:40 a.m. — Haight Street flooding

San Francisco’s area of 224 Haight Street and Buchanan is closed due to flooding, San Francisco authorities report.

9:20 a.m. — High surf conditions

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and Tunitas Creek Beach are closed due to high surf conditions, the San Mateo County Parks announced. Bluff Advisories have been issued for Pillar Point Bluff and Mirada Surf Park. The San Mateo County Parks advises residents to stay on the trail and away from the bluff edge.

9:17 a.m. — Palo Alto outage

Palo Alto Utilities announced an electrical outage for 687 customers in the area of Greer and Embarcadero Road (Duveneck neighborhood). Also, 172 customers in Middlefield Road and Stern Avenue have an electrical outage. There is not an estimated restoration time at this time.

8:45 a.m. — Tree falls on Highway 101

Update: Lanes are open on Highway 101

A downed tree that fell onto a vehicle has closed Northbound Highway 101 at Todd Road in Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Fire District confirmed.

The Sonoma County Fire District
The Sonoma County Fire District
The Sonoma County Fire District
The Sonoma County Fire District

8:43 a.m. — SF Half Marathon canceled

The San Francisco Half Marathon released a statement on Facebook confirming the cancellation of Sunday’s race.

8:35 a.m. — Oregon Expressway closed due to fallen tree

The Palo Alto Police Department announced the Eastbound Oregon Expressway at Bryant Street is closed due to a fallen tree.

Palo Alto Police Department
Palo Alto Police Department

8:25 a.m. — Evacuations ordered in San Jose

The City of San Jose has issued a mandatory evacuation effective immediately for the areas on and near the banks of Coyote, Los Gatos, Penitencia Creek, Ross Creek, and the Guadalupe River.

8:20 a.m. — Widespread power outages

Power Outages Throughout the Bay Area, according to Pacific Gas and Electric

Feb 4 – 7:45 AM

Affected Customers

San Francisco (SF Division)

917

Peninsula (Pen Division)

1,486

North Bay (NB and Sonoma Divisions)

12,947

East Bay (Mission, Diablo, EB Divisions)

325

South Bay (De Anza and San Jose Divisions)

13,349

Total

29,024

8:13 a.m. — Dangerous winds

According to the NWS, dangerous winds are expected on Sunday. The wind gusts are projected to be 45 to 60 mph. Near Big Sur and portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Hills, winds are predicted to be 70-80 mph.

8:07 a.m. — Napa under flood advisory

According to the National Weather Service, Napa is under a flood advisory until 8:30 a.m..

Saturday, Feb. 4

2:04 p.m.

Pacifica Police Department advises residents to “stay off the roads.” The department also warned residents to avoid beaches and coastal areas due to hazardous surf conditions.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2:01 p.m.

Caltrans District 4 warns residents of the severe weather and suggests limiting non-essential travel during the storm.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 1:30 p.m.

A moderate risk of excessive rainfall has been expanded to include the San Mateo and San Francisco Peninsula on Sunday, the National Weather Service announced. There is a marginal to moderate risk of excessive rainfall in rapid-onset flooding.

For Saturday morning, rain and winds will begin to pick up. On Saturday evening, the storm will begin with strong wings from the Southeast and East and persistent rain. Flooding is predicted.

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On Monday and Tuesday, showers will continue, per NWS.

According to NWS, strong winds across the entire Bay Area and Central Coast will be the primary impact of this potential storm. The highest rainfall will be across the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucias. Santa Cruz Mountains are likely to have 4-6 inches of rainfall. Santa Lucias’ rainfall is forecasted to be 4-7 inches. The valley areas are forecasted to have 2-3 inches of rainfall.

Two wind advisories are issued from 4 p.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday. This is an update from previous reporting. The wind advisories will now begin on Saturday, instead of Sunday.

National Weather Service
National Weather Service

KRON4’s meteorologist Dave Spahr explained that a high wind warning by definition means that property damage can be associated with the winds. Spahr said that given the saturated ground, damage may be more likely. Also, power outages are not out of the realm of possibility.

Bay City News contributed to this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.