This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
California Blackouts: A Threat to Vulnerable Residents ¶
When Ben Faus, a resident of Moraga, California, went to bed on Wednesday night, he knew there was a chance his power would go out. But he didn't know exactly when. At 3 a.m. on Thursday, he was jolted awake because his sleep apnea breathing machine stopped working.
'All of a sudden, I was like, 'I can't breathe,' he said.
The power shut-off, which affected over 600,000 customers in Northern California, has left many without power, and the uncertainty of when it will be restored has heightened anxiety and frustration. For the most vulnerable residents, including those with disabilities and medical conditions, the power blackouts can be life-threatening.
On Thursday afternoon, around 600,000 customers were still without power, and there was no clear indication of when it might be restored. The uncertainty has spawned confusion, and many medical facilities have had to prepare for the outage by ordering extra oxygen tanks and installing generators.
Jan Emerson-Shea, a spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association, said none of the hospitals have reported any significant effects on their patient services. However, the power shut-off has made for odd juxtapositions, with some areas having power while others do not.
At the Sequoias in Portola Valley, a retirement home in the hills above Silicon Valley, only one phone was functioning, and the facility had only partial power from a generator. Cellphone service was down. But in the valley below, tech companies like Google and Apple operated with full power.
As the power shut-off continues, many residents are left to wonder when they will have power again. The uncertainty has fueled frustration and anxiety, and for the most vulnerable residents, the power blackouts can be life-threatening.
According to Michael Wara, a climate and energy expert at Stanford University, the disruption could cost the state anywhere from $65 million to $2.5 billion. However, the outage will probably make only a small dent in California's multitrillion-dollar economy.
