How to prepare in the event of a power outage

Southern California Edison officials said the company doesn’t anticipate any rolling blackouts this summer, but as Riverside County's Emergency Management Department says you should still be prepared just in case your power does goes out.

That means turn your A/C off, fans should be turning counterclockwise so the air travels down, and try to not use large appliances from 4 PM to 8 PM

“We need to do all we can to conserve energy in times of the greatest need because that way we can prevent having to resort to such a tool as the rolling blackout,” said Jeff, senior advisor for SCE.

Last year SCE says it was able to prevent some of its rolling blackouts from happening, this year — it doesn’t expect any.

“We’re feeling optimistic that this summer we will have no need for rolling blackouts. This is because we’ve added a lot of battery storage at the places on the grid where it was most needed to ensure reliability. But also because we have procured more power via contracts from various suppliers,” Jeff said.

But — some power outages are inevitable. Which is why Riverside County’s emergency management department warns people to still prepare. Just in case.

“Think about it in advance. Think about if you have electric vehicle, is it charged? Do you have chargers for your cellphones,” said Shane Reichardt, EMD's public information officer.

And if you experience an outage reduce opening the fridge to keep food safe, close your windows and doors to preserve whatever cool air remains in your home, and be on the lookout for alerts from Riverside County about cooling centers, if the outage goes on for too long.

To get those alerts visit: https://rivcoemd.org/

For tips on what to do during an outage, visit: https://www.sce.com/outage-center/preparing-for-outages