Local authorities in San Francisco, California, issued an urgent appeal to residents to stay indoors and only leave for essential reasons after a widespread power outage plunged large parts of the city into darkness Saturday night. The sudden outage also caused traffic lights to stop working, leading to severe traffic disruptions and affecting public transportation.
In a swift move to contain the situation, local official Daniel Lowry appeared in a video posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), issuing a warning to residents: “It’s raining, and it’s nighttime, so anyone who doesn’t absolutely need to go out should stay home for their safety.” Lowry confirmed that emergency teams and police were working at full capacity to control the situation on the ground.
Details of the incident and reasons for the outage
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the region's main power provider, announced that the power outage affected approximately 130,000 customers in the city. The company stated in an official statement: "We are working in close coordination with emergency response teams and local officials to address the outage affecting San Francisco.".
Regarding the primary cause of the power outage, Daniel Lowry revealed that a fire at a power substation was the direct cause, noting that there is no set timeframe for full restoration of electricity. To mitigate traffic chaos, traffic police were deployed at major intersections to compensate for the absence of traffic lights and regulate vehicle movement.
California's infrastructure challenges
This incident has once again highlighted the challenges facing California's power grid infrastructure. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is one of the largest utilities in the United States, but in recent years it has faced criticism and challenges regarding network maintenance and its ability to withstand changing weather conditions and wildfires.
Such incidents are particularly significant given San Francisco's status as a global center for technology and the economy. Any power outage in this vital area not only affects the daily lives of residents but also raises questions about the preparedness of major cities to handle energy emergencies, especially in light of the increasing reliance on digital technology, which requires stable and sustainable energy sources.
Safety procedures and emergency measures
In such circumstances, US authorities typically enforce strict safety protocols. When traffic lights malfunction, intersections legally become four-way stops, requiring extreme caution from drivers. The combination of power outages and rainfall, as the local official noted, exacerbates the risk of traffic accidents and skidding, making staying home the safest option to alleviate pressure on emergency and ambulance crews.
