700 customers left without power during excessive heat warning
It was the hottest day of the year, so far, and hundreds were left without power.
“It is 117 degrees, and this is not good,” said Debra Platt, a La Quinta resident.
Platt and, about 600 other people who live near 50th and Washington in La Quinta, experienced an unexpected outage Wednesday. An Imperial Irrigation District spokesperson says it may have happened after a generator in El Centro stopped working.
Crews restored power in just about four minutes for most people but Debra and Jim Platt were powerless from about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“Boom, power cam back on. Fans started, air conditioning started to go, but it’s still a little warm in here,” Debra said.
Harriet Eckstein lives on the other side of La Quinta, near Fred Waring and Adams Street, a little under 100 people lost power in her neighborhood around 6:00 p.m.
“I called IID and they had no idea that the power was out,” Eckstein said. “When it gets above 78, which it’s starting to do, it gets very uncomfortable. It’s not just me, it’s the dogs I’m worried about.”
IID says a bad transformer is to blame for the second outage, citing high demand for power. Here’s how the Red Cross is urging people to prepare for other unscheduled outages:
– Have an emergency kit ready (water, non-perishable foods, medication, a flashlight, supplies for pets, first aid kit)
– Keep an ice chest handy with ice in the freezer
– Coordinate plans to stay with family or friends
