Credit: Jean Anderson
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SCE Installs Generators, Distributes Water and Ice in Downtown Long Beach

All customers in the area have power, but may experience intermittent outages as repairs continue
By Mary Ann Milbourn
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At Cesar Chavez Park in Long Beach Friday, residents impacted by the outage came by car, by foot and some by bicycle. They came for the bottled water, ice and flashlights being distributed by SCE workers.

"We're here today to assure customers that we are working and walking with them," said Ed Robinson, SCE Local Public Affairs principal manager. "We want them to know we haven't forgotten about them and will do what we can to lessen the impact."

SCE staff first set up the distribution center at Cesar Chavez Park Community Center, but on Sunday moved it to 925 Locust Avenue.

The outage began on Thursday just after 4 p.m. with failures at two underground vaults. Due to the extend of the damage, some 60 customers were expected to be without power overnight as SCE crews attempt to restore power to the area as quickly and as safely as possible.

SCE also installed several generators in the areas affected by the outage bounded by Pacific Avenue, Lily Street, Tribune Court and Nardo Way. SCE crews fanned out throughout downtown Long Beach Friday checking underground vaults block-by-block.Repairs continued through the weekend.

"We have 50 two-man crews inspecting upwards of 300 vaults," said Steve Conroy, an SCE spokesperson. "Inspections are important for public safety and are precautionary in nature."

In an alley near 10th Street and Pine Avenue, where the initial outage occurred, 15 SCE workers were inspecting a vault. That process was being repeated by crews throughout downtown as they assessed and tested the underground system.

"Due to the current situation, Edison repeats the importance of conservation until we can get the rest of the power on," said Conroy.

Customers can get information on outages at 1-800-611-1911 or the outage page at on.sce.com/outages or by downloading the SCE outages app on their smartphones. Updates also are shared via Twitter.

Here are some additional important tips to remember:

  • Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops. 
  • Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage. 
  • Do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.
  • If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into the generator, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
Tags: Customer Service and Reliability