Scheduled Power Outages Amid Heat Wave, Where and Tips to Prepare

Southern California Edison (SCE) has more than 1,300 scheduled maintenance outages during this heat wave and many of their customers are uneasy. These planned outages are scheduled to happen overnight from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Even then, temperatures are still in the triple digits in the early morning hours. Wednesday night, there are two planned outages in Palm Desert from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Both are off Highway 74, one near Cahuilla Hills Park and the other near Shadow Mountain Resort. Thursday evening, Cathedral City will see several outages at the same time. Those are in the neighborhood off Cathedral Canyon Dr. and Ramon Rd. But, as SCE says, some of these outages may not happen. "Over the holiday weekend, we know that there’s going to be a significant heat wave." Spokesperson for Southern California Edison, Ben Gallagher, said. "So in order to keep our customers safe, we’re going to be taking a look at all of those planned maintenance outages and we’re going to be canceling or postponing them unless they’re absolutely necessary to continue safely delivering electricity to our customers." If these outages still occur, here are some tips to prepare your home during the day before a 10 p.m. planned outage. Close drapes and blinds to keep direct sunlight from heating your home. Use electric fans in the counterclockwise direction to keep air circulating downward. Pre-cool your home. Set your A/C lower during the day in non-peak hours so then when the time comes, your home is already cool and will stay cool for longer. Some viewers have reached out to NBC Palm Springs worried about these outages, not knowing where to go or what to do. Make sure to tune in tomorrow. We’ll speak with one of these concerned families as these outages are still on the schedule. For a list of all active or planned outages in your area, click here.