Wednesday, October 9, 2019
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that PG&E has shut down power to approximately 523,000 customers throughout California including over 60,000 customers in Humboldt County. The shutdowns occurred last night between 12:30 AM and 3:30 AM. This includes the City of Arcata.
We have not yet received confirmation on the estimated duration of the power outage.
Residents are encouraged to continue to be prepared for a power outage that could last several days. The City of Arcata is recommending that all Arcata residents conserve water and minimize sewer use during this time. City water or sewer service has not been affected by the power shutdown, but conservation efforts will help maintain services to residents until power is restored.
PG&E has announced that two Community Relief Centers will be available to Humboldt County residents at 12 PM. These centers will provide air conditioning, heat, water and power charging stations to charge phones and other critical devices. The Community Relief Centers will be located at the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, located at 3750 Harris Street in Eureka and College of the Redwoods, located at 7351 Tompkins Hill Road in Eureka.
Arcata House Partnership is open and offering lunch and dinner to community members in need today. The Arcata House Partnership Annex is located at 501 9th Street in Arcata, and meals will be served until 6 PM.
Arcata House Partnership and the Arcata Police Department will be delivering meals to community members with mobility or transportation challenges. Please call the Arcata House Partnership at 707-298-7610 or the Arcata Police Department at 707-822-2424 to arrange for meal delivery.
All Humboldt State classes and campus events have been canceled. For Humboldt State University updates, please visit humboldt.edu or call 707-826-INFO (4636).
We will continue to update the homepage of the City's website as new information becomes available.
To sign up for City of Arcata Emergency Notifications via CodeRED, click here.
Community members who have signed up for City News eNotifications will receive updates via email or text message. To sign up for City News eNotifications, please click here.
For more information on how to prepare for a power outage or what to do during a power outage, please click here.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that all Humboldt County PG&E customers will lose power tonight at midnight on Tuesday, October 8. This includes the City of Arcata.
Residents should prepare for an extended power outage which could last for a few days.
Humboldt County has advised that 9-1-1 be used for only life threatening emergencies. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office will provide more information when PG&E provides outage or restoration updates. Residents with family or neighbors with known medical needs are encouraged to check in with those who may need assistance during this time. Arcata residents are encouraged to charge all cell phones and critical devices and fill gas tanks before midnight.
We will continue to update the homepage of the City's website as new information becomes available.
For more information on how to prepare for a power outage or what to do during a power outage, please click here.
PG&E Public Safety Shutoffs in Humboldt County
We have been notified that PG&E has added Humboldt County to the list of Pre-Storm Power Shutdown regions. It has been confirmed that power in Humboldt County could be shut down as early as midnight tonight, Tuesday, October 8. Although the exact locations of the power outages have yet to be confirmed by PG&E, we encourage all Arcata residents to be prepared.
While weather conditions in Humboldt County do not constitute the severe fire weather hazard that is triggering public safety power shutoffs throughout California, we could lose power to the entire county if transmission lines coming into Humboldt along Hwy 299 and Hwy 36 are de-energized.
The power could remain off for up to 5 days. This 5-day period is designed for PG&E to fully access their system if conditions such as high winds cause debris to affect transmission line conditions.
We are in the process of preparing for the potential shutdown and will continue to communicate with the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services for updates.
We will continue to update the homepage of the City's website as new information becomes available.
Community members who have signed up for City News eNotifications will receive updates via email or text message. To sign up for City News eNotifications, please click here.
For more information on how to prepare for a power outage or what to do during a power outage, click here.