55,500 LADWP Customers Without Power in Northeast, East L.A. (Update)

Some 6,600 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers in Eagle Rock—and 14,700 others in Highland Park, plus 8,400 in Glassell Park—are currently without power as a result of Wednesday night’s windstorm, according to the latest figures announced by the LADWP.

Click here to see outage counts for most L.A. neighborhoods.

The customers are among 55,500 people across Northeast and East Los Angeles who are experiencing power outages, LADWP spokesman Joseph Ramallo said in a 10 a.m. news statement. (As many as 129,000 customers across the L.A. Metro area and the San Fernando Valley are affected.)

More than 100 LADWP crews are responding to more than 1,000 separate power-related incidents, Ramallo said, adding that the utility strongly urges the public to “stay away from any downed power line and downed trees and tree limbs.” It is particularly important to take this precaution because “many children [are] home from school today,” he said.

LADWP is also urging customers in the neighborhood of Highland Park, Mount Washington, Hermon, Monterey Hills, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Montecito Heights to conserve water, as the power outage has affected water pumping infrastructure. 

An LADWP bulletin states the following, "Customers in these areas are strongly urged to conserve water as much as possible until further notice. Low water pressure may be experienced during this event. Residents are asked to use water only for drinking and sanitation purposes only. Water should not be used for washing dishes, laundry and outdoor irrigation."

The boundaries of the affected area are York Boulevard on the north, Eagle Rock Boulevard on the west, San Fernando Road and Mercury Avenue on the south
and Collis Avenue on the east.

The LADWP is offering the following tips in the event of a power outage:

• Stay calm—and armed with a flashlight and extra batteries that are easily accessible. Avoid using candles.
• Turn off all but one of the lights in your home—so that you know when power is restored.
• Turn off and unplug appliances and other electrical equipment, especially heat-producing appliances such as irons and space heaters. This helps prevent circuit overloading, which could delay restoration of service.
• Call LADWP at 1-800-342-5397 to report your power outage

Here’s what you should to if you come across a downed power line:

• Report any downed power lines immediately by calling the LADWP at 1-800-342-5397. If you—or someone else—is in danger, call 911.
• Do not touch a downed or dangling wire—or anyone or anything in contact with it.
• If a power line falls on your car, stay in the car and wait for help. If you must get out, make sure not to touch the metal parts of the car and the ground at the same time. The safest exit method is to open the door, stand on the door sill and jump into the air without touching the car.
• Stay away from metal fences, such as chain link fences—a downed power line may be touching the fence somewhere beyond your sight.
• If the connection from the power pole to your house is damaged, go to the electrical box and turn off the main switch—or shut the fuse switch. Never presume electric lines are not live.

Check the LADWP's website and Twitter page—@LADWP—for updates.