Thursday Storm Updates: Power Outages Could Last 24 to 48 Hours

Power Could be 24-48 Hours Away: The Sheriff's Department message also says that SoCal Edison has told them power could be 24 to 48 hours from being restored.

All Street Lights, Traffic Lights Not Functional: The Sheriff's Department confirmed in a advisory update that no traffic or street lights in Altadena are working.

Altadena Boulevard Closure: As of 5 p.m. Thursday Altadena Boulevard was closed east of Holliston for several blocks because of a partially-fallen tree hanging over the street.

North Winds to Blame: An interesting interview segment featuring a UCLA meterologist on KPCC laid out why Pasadena-area cities got hit so bad last night: the wind came from a northerly direction right over the San Gabriel Mountains.  This is an unusual phenomenon for Santa Anas: they usally come from the Northeast.  Tonight's winds are expected to behave like more traditional Santa Anas and come from that direction.

High Winds Advisory Canceled: The National Weather Service has downgraded its warning for a high wind advisory to a normal wind advisory.  According to the alert, that means 20 to 30 mph winds with gusts of up to 40 mph, instead of 40 mph sustained winds with gusts of up to 58 mph.

County Emergency Declaration: The county has declared an emergency, allowing it to apply for state and federal funds to deal with clean-up issues, according to County Supervisor Michael Antonovich's office.

County Crews Breaking at Dark: County crews will not be working on tree clearing after dark, according to Bob Spencer of the Public Works Department, because of safety issues.  That means increased debris is likely during the evening hours, so staying off the streets as much as possible will be a smart idea.

Downed Trees (update): Make that 346 downed tree calls - Bob Spencer of the Public Works Department got in touch with us about the updated numbers.

Downed Trees: The county has received 180 reports of downed street trees in county areas, most of them in San Gabriel Valley foothill areas, according to the Public Works Department.  They also have 27 traffic lights listed as inoperable, and 31 calls about traffic lights.  Pasadena, to compare, has reported 450 street trees down, so there may well be more down than reported in county areas.  Also, as most of the traffic lights in Altadena appear to be out, it would seem likely there are more than the listed number actually out countywide as well.

Power Outage Restoration Estimates: SoCal Edison has updated its estimates on when power will be restored on its outage center website.  The times vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, with some estimated to have power some time tonight, some tomorrow morning.  However, please take this with a grain of salt...as you see in below update, SoCal Edison representatives are also pointing out more power outages are expected to happen tonight, and they have declined to estimate broader trends about when power will be restored.

Useful Phone Numbers and Alerts: If you see downed power lines or trees, damaged roadways, or other hazards in Altadena or other unincorporated county areas, here is the number to call:1-800-675-HELP (4375).  Also the county is suggesting people sign up for their emergency alert system for emergency updates (whether or not that will result in you getting updates on the current wind storm, I don't know). 

Sheriff's Department Update: Lt. Duane Allen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said residents should prepare to not have power for at least another 24 hours.  He said there will be extra units to watch key intersections tonight, but that anybody who does not need to be on the road should stay at home.

PUSD Closed: PUSD schools will be closed again Friday for students, though employees are expected to report to work.

SoCal Edison on Power Restoration Times: SoCal Edison spokesman Gil Alexander declined to give a time line on when power might be back on for Altadena residents.  He pointed out that high winds are forecast for the next 24 hours, and that some residents who do have power could still lose it.  He said crews would be working around the clock to restore power, but that people should be preparing to go without power and to aid any people who need power for medical devices or other emergency uses.

No Major Injuries: Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Johnson says so far there are no reports of major injuries or major fires as a result of the winds.

13,000 Households Without Power in Altadena: The new tally for power outages is about 300,000 according to the City News Service.  SoCal Edison spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady told KPCC this morning that crews will prioritize restoring power in the areas with the most people with the longest lasting outages.  However, she also pointed out that more high winds are forecast throughout the day and into the night, so things could well get worse before they get better.

Based on a count from information listed on the SoCal Edison website, it appears that around 13,000 Altadena customers are without power.  None of the listed outages have an estimate of when power will be back on.

Altadena appears to be mostly without power, and traffic lights are out in much of the town.  Most of the businesses on Lake Avenue appear to be closed (Carrie Meyer, owner of , told Patch she will not open today).

There are downed wires at multiple locations in Altadena, and the Fire Department is urging residents to not approach them--call 911 if you spot one.

Original Story (City News Service): The City of Pasadena provided a measure of how disruptive the winds out to be when it declared a local  emergency this morning and urged working adults and schoolchildren to stay home to avoid roads strewn with limbs and power lines. The Pasadena Unified School District said its would remain shuttered.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation's biggest utility, reported 88,700 of its 1.4 million customers were without as the sun rose. The hardest-hit communities were Playa Del Rey, Venice, El Sereno, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Hills, Los Feliz, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, and Encino.

Southern California Edison, which serves Southland customers outside Los reported that 211,300 of its customers were without power as a of outages that began Wednesday night. SCE spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady the hardest hit areas were generally near the Foothill (210) Freeway and Pasadena, Monrovia, Arcadia, Altadena, Sierra Madre, San Gabriel and Alhambra.

Crews from both the DWP and SCE worked through the night to bring power back. The outages were believed to be affecting both residential and commercial customers.

At Los Angeles International Airport, an hourlong power outage starting around 7 p.m. Wednesday affected all passenger terminals and caused 20 inbound domestic flights and three international flights to be diverted to other area
airports. Power was restored by 8 p.m. but delays lingered this morning, said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.