RESIDENTS SWELTER DURING PROLONGED POWER OUTAGE IN BORREGO SPRINGS; COUNTY POWERS UP “COOL ZONE”

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Update 3:30 p.m.: Power has been fully restored to all residents. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2013 (Borrego Springs) – Severe weather knocked out power yesterday afternoon ito 2700 SDG&E  customers in Borrego  Springs and nearby communities.  An estimated 760 households remain without power today in Borrego and Shelter Valley as temperatures climb to triple digits. 

SDG&E estimates power will be restored at 7 p.m.   “Currently, we have restored some emergency power to a portion of the community. This has enabled the county to open a cool zone at the library on Palm Canyon Drive,” an SDG&E advisory sent to residents advises.

“There was hardly anyone in town, no gas, can’t pump with no power,” Borrego resident Bob Kutscher informed ECM this morning. 

Last night, he advised that many residents in this desert community have generators for just such emergencies here, where going without air conditioning in the summer months can be not only uncomfortable, but hazardous.

"We have a great network of neighbors down here, we try to check on each other and let everyone know when issues like this come up.  When I moved here, the first rule I was taught was to always keep over 1/2 tank of gas in the cars because of power issues like this.  When the power goes down the gas stations can't pump gas."

A reader sent a photo taken along Palm Canyon Drive (S22) showing what appear to be downed power lines and toppled poles, which may account for the prolonged outage.


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