50K Without Power, Over 66K More Under Power Shutoff Warning In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO, CA — Tens of thousands of San Diego Gas and Electric customers were without power Tuesday and thousands of others could lose power as gusty Santa Ana winds prompt public safety power shutoffs in parts of the region.

As of Tuesday morning, 50,824 customers were without power in communities across the county in an effort to mitigate fire risk due to critical fire weather conditions, according to SDG&E.

The utility company this week made calls and sent emails and text messages to nearly 117,500 customers who may be affected by the shutoffs. A total of 66,642 additional customers could be affected by the outages, according to SDG&E. See an up-to-date list of impacted communities at sdge.com/ready.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning until 4 a.m. Wednesday for the inland valleys and mountains due to strong gusty winds and low relative humidity.

Before power can be restored, extreme weather conditions must pass, allowing crews to inspect power lines and equipment to ensure their safe operation, and if needed, repair damage, according to SDG&E.

Officials warned that customers should never approach damaged infrastructure or downed power lines. Report downed lines by calling 911 or SGD&E's call center at 800-411-7343.