PG&E customers in Walnut Creek and other parts of Contra Costa County could lose electricity starting Wednesday, July 15, as the utility prepares to shut down power lines where hot, dry, and windy conditions raise the risk of wildfire. Thousands of customers across ten Bay Area and Central Coast counties are affected, according to a Bay City News report published Tuesday, July 14.

PG&E said the shutoffs are likely to continue into Thursday, July 16. The ten counties include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, and San Joaquin, Bay City News managing editor Dan McMenamin reported.

What is a PSPS?

A Public Safety Power Shutoff is PG&E's program to proactively de-energize power lines and equipment when weather conditions could cause that equipment to spark wildfires. The utility has used the program during periods of high heat, low humidity, and strong winds in past fire seasons.

How to prepare

Walnut Creek residents can take several steps before power goes out:

  • Charge devices and keep flashlights accessible.
  • Check whether your address is in a shutoff zone at pge.com. (Note: PG&E's PSPS address-lookup tool was returning errors as of Tuesday evening, July 14.)
  • Sign up for WCAlert, the city's emergency notification system, by texting "WCALERT" to 888-777.
  • Know your evacuation zone using a mapping tool at https://cwsalerts.com/know-your-zone/.

Where to get updates

Contra Costa County's Community Warning System is the official emergency alert platform for the county. CWS sends phone calls, texts, and emails when a hazard requires immediate action. Residents should save 925-655-0195 in their contacts as "Community Warning System" so alerts aren't filtered as spam.

The city of Walnut Creek's emergency preparedness line is (925) 943-5852, available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For Red Flag Warnings and weather updates specific to the Bay Area, the National Weather Service posts conditions at weather.gov/mtr.

What's next

PG&E has not announced a specific restoration timeline for this event. Residents should plan for the possibility of extended outages through Thursday, July 16.

This is a developing situation. Walnut Creek residents can monitor pge.com and cwsalerts.com for real-time updates on shutoff areas and timing.