SCE Now Targets 10 p.m. For Power Restoration In Palm Desert

Hundreds, if not thousands, of Coachella Valley residents were still without power Monday night, as nearly 4,000 Southern California Edison customers in Palm Desert lost power at around 4:45 a.m.

SCE expected to have power up for most customers by 10 p.m. Monday evening, but some were still without electricity.

The affected area was between Frank Sinatra to the north, Hovely Lane to the south, Washington to the east and Portola to the west.

The power didn’t shut down on it’s own. According to SCE, maintenance workers identified a problem Sunday night at a Palm Desert substation.

There was an equipment failure, and in order to repair it, SCE had to turn the power off, officials said.

Some residents woke up Monday morning sweating.

“It’s affecting us,” said Tyler Amundson, a resident without power. “This desert heat is killer.”

As the temperature got higher, some residents ran out of patience.

“I have [been] trying to recircuit, reset it and do all that fun stuff,” said Amundson. “But, none of it’s paying off.”

Ronald Reagan Elementary School closed down at around 10:45 a.m. Monday morning. The classrooms became unbearable without air-conditioning, according to the Desert Sands Unified School District.

“We will survive this catastrophe,” said Kim McLaughlin, the principal.

Manor Care also had a scare.

Ten patients at the nursing rehabilitation center for seniors were taken to Eisenhower Medical Center in the afternoon as a precautionary measure.

Donna Ross’ mother is a patient at Manor Care. She breathes with an oxygen tank. But she wasn’t one of the patients taken to the hospital.

“They’ve been able to supplement her with portable tanks,” she said. “But, this is not a good thing.”

None of the patients were in critical condition, according to Manor Care officials. However, some were on breathing machines powered by electricity, and the patients were taken away to avoid further problems.

“This has really been a tough day for [my mother] and her other associates,” said Ross.

The city of Palm Desert opened two cooling centers Monday afternoon and provided air-conditioning space for residents without power.

“We have some cots and tables and we encourage people to bring their own deck of cards,” said Gary Rosenblum, the Palm Desert risk manager.

The Joslyn Center was open during the day. However, the Palm Desert Community Center will remain open through the Monday night and for as long as it takes for the power to return.

“We get Red Cross help,” said Rosenblum. “If we need to, we can get fire and paramedics and all that sort of thing.”

“It’s… not a good day,” said Amundson.

The last time there was a major power outage in the heat, just a handful of people chose to stay at the overnight shelter in Palm Desert, city officials said.

It’s free, but pets are not allowed.