The Sacramento region was battered by a strong winter storm Sunday, which brought more than eight hours of 65+ mph tropical storm force winds, causing downed trees, widespread destruction and storm-related outages.
At the height of the storm, damage caused power interruptions to 200,000 customers. Crews have been working 24/7 to assess damage, make repairs and restore power and have made significant progress. As of this late morning, less than 30,000 customers remain without power.
Damage is widespread across SMUD’s service area. There are currently more than 40 poles and 360 wires down, and over 80 job sites that require complex tree work before repairs can be made.
SMUD has more than 80 crews working 24/7 to complete damage assessments and make repairs and restore power to all customers safely and as quickly as possible. Working in challenging conditions on complex tasks, crews will continue efforts around-the-clock to restore power to customers, some of whom may experience extended outages. SMUD is contacting those customers directly so they can make arrangements.
SMUD prioritizes where crews will be sent to restore power:
- Public safety hazards (power lines down, poles down)
- Hospitals, critical flood control pumps and other facilities with large community impact
- Areas with large numbers of customers out of power
- Scattered, smaller outages
- Safety is a top priority and SMUD is providing tips for customers to stay safe.
