'PG&E Created A Crisis': SoCo Residents Sound Off About Blackout

SANTA ROSA, CA — By mid-morning Thursday, about 75 people had visited a white tent that housed PG&E's Community Resource Center outside the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa. Some were re-charging or using electronic devices and sipping cold water.

Others were chatting and exchanging stories about how PG&E's controversial Public Safety Power Shutoff had affected their daily routines since early Wednesday morning when 66,000 county residents involuntarily lost their electric power to prevent wind-blown power lines from starting a wildfire.

"I'm really torn about the decision. I don't have a good feeling about PG&E," Santa Rosa resident Barbara McKinley said. "They should have completed making repairs. We need underground wires."

Janice Callahan, a resident of the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa where homes burned in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, said the utility company's power shutoff was "very unorganized."

"They said power would be off for two days. Now they're saying seven days. I'm not prepared for seven days. I only have two days of food," Callahan said.

She said the power outage also frightened her 5-year-old daughter.

"PG&E created a crisis," Callahan said.

Rincon Valley resident Charles Phillips questioned why PG&E plans to restore the power in stages.

"They're saying they have to wait for the weather to break, but there's no wind in the flats," Phillips said.

Christi Harrington of Santa Rosa said she had time to prepare for the power shutoff because she was among the last to lose it.

"No one likes to have it (the shutoff) done. It was empowering to me to be ready. I had time to think about it.

"I don't think PG&E did the wrong thing if it was for safety. We can do without our devices, calm down and read books," Harrington said.

Steve Sprague, of Bennett Valley, stood outside the Resource Center with a blue and gold macaw on his right shoulder. He said he plans to spend a few days in Oregon where he owns a home.

"People need to be held accountable for their actions, but you also have to take it in perspective and count your blessings. We're still in God's country," Sprague said.

As for the macaw named Princess Alstott after the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers' fullback Michael Alstott, Sprague said the bird has been deprived of watching "Sesame Street" every day.

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• PG&E May Shut Off Power In 30 Counties Amid Fire Weather Watch
• Power To Petaluma May Be Cut Amid Red Flag Weather, PG&E Warns
• PG&E Power Shutoff Latest: 74K Affected In Sonoma Co., North Bay

— Bay City News Service