Warm, dry, windy — and very dangerous — weather was moving into the Bay Area for Sunday and Monday, with red flag warnings posted for coming days, power shutoffs likely and firefighters on high alert.
A red flag warning will be in effect from Sunday morning to Tuesday morning in the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills, where wind gusts of up to 70 mph were expected, the National Weather Service said. Another red flag warning will be in effect for much of the rest of the Bay Area, included coastal areas and the Santa Cruz Mountains, from Sunday night to Monday morning.
Nearly half a million customers in 38 California counties could lose power if Pacific Gas and Electric puts emergency power shutoffs into effect.
Wind advisories were in effect for the Bay Area for conditions that would “shift dramatically” on Sunday, said David King, a weather service meteorologist. Gusts of up to 50 mph were expected even in low-lying areas throughout the Bay Area.
Forecasters warned that “damaging offshore winds (will) impact the Bay Area Sunday night.”
Air quality was good on Saturday, except in San Jose, where it was moderate, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. But those conditions could deteriorate quickly in the event of new fires.
Richmond residents along Interstate 80 near Hilltop Drive found how quickly air quality could change when they were ordered to evacuate at around 11 a.m. Saturday after a tanker truck caught fire on the freeway. An hour later, the evacuation call was rescinded with residents told to shelter in place.
No immediate cause was released for the fire, which closed the freeway for hours in both directions.
Power shutoffs were likely in many locations throughout the Bay Area, including the North Bay and East Bay hills, said Lynsey Paulo, a spokeswoman for PG&E.
“PG&E’s meteorology team is tracking perhaps the strongest offshore wind event of the season,” Paulo said. “We’re seeing a dangerous combination of high winds, extremely low humidity, record dry fuels on the ground and severe to extreme drought in many areas.
“These conditions pose an increased risk to our electric system, which has the potential to ignite fires. That’s why we’re preparing to use safety shutoffs as a tool of last resort.”
Power restoration in areas that had been shut off would not come until Tuesday, after crews had inspected power lines for damage, Paulo said.
Customers in some East Bay and North Bay locations who provided their addresses to the PG&E website to obtain information about possible outages received this message: “Future Outage Status: Due to severe weather, a PSPS (public safety power shutoff) is likely.”
The utility had opened community resource centers around the Bay Area, offering snacks, water and device charging stations to affected customers. Those centers were at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, the Marin City Health and Wellness Center, the Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church in Moraga, Merritt College in Oakland and UC Berkeley.
On Saturday morning, there seemed to be little panic about the aura of shutoffs in the East Bay. Maybe it was the cool, gray weather or the fact that the threatened power shutoff was a day away, but nobody was stocking up yet at the Village Market on Broadway Terrace in Oakland.
“So far, it’s pretty normal,” said Mariela Loker, the grocery manager, noting that Saturdays are always busy.
She said business might pick up later in the day. If the power goes out, the store is prepared — unlike last year, when power was lost for three days.
“The owner bought a generator and we tested it last night,” she said. “Everything worked.”
The last time the store lost power, she said, “It was crazy. We had to take everything from the cold cases and put them in a refrigerated truck.”
Ann Goslee of Oakland was in the produce aisle, doing her regular shopping. She said she and her husband can get by without power as long as the water and natural gas keep flowing, which they’re supposed to. She planned to cook toast over the gas burners.
“We’re not stressed,” she said. “I’m more worried about fire since we lost our home in 1991.”
The couple rebuilt their home on Golden Gate Avenue after the Oakland Hills Fire. She said she was concerned by the prospect of high winds.
“I’m always worried when it’s October and it’s hotter than hell,” she said.
But she and her husband plan to say put unless authorities tell them to evacuate.
Nearby Montclair Village, which was expected to lose power Sunday for the second time in two weeks, was bustling as it usually is on Saturday, with locals gathering not for batteries but for brunch.
At the Mix home decor store, manager Tiairra Castillo said the PG&E announcement of outages seemed to irritate residents.
“It makes some people mad because there’s power just five minutes away,” she said.
Several parks in the East Bay hills will be closed on Sunday and Monday because of the high fire danger, the East Bay Regional Park District announced. Those parks include Anthony Chabot, Claremont Canyon, Huckleberry, Lake Chabot, Leona Canyon, Redwood, Roberts, Sibley, Tilden, Wildcat Canyon and Kennedy Grove.
Steve Rubenstein and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @ctuan
The Link LonkOctober 25, 2020 at 02:04AM
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/High-winds-and-dry-weather-will-send-fire-danger-15672306.php
High winds and dry weather across Bay Area will send fire danger soaring on Sunday - San Francisco Chronicle
https://news.google.com/search?q=Send&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment