What is happening with the PG&E PSPS?
As of Oct 15, 2026, PG&E has begun Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) operations in parts of Northern and Central California. Check your exact address on PG&E’s PSPS updates page before making an outage plan. A county name or a fire-weather warning does not establish whether your home will lose power.
In its 11:30 p.m. Pacific update on October 14, PG&E reported approximately 46,000 customers being de-energized in targeted areas across 19 counties, as well as four rancherias. That is a dated operational snapshot, not a live count for this morning.
The earlier 88,000-customer, 29-county figure described the broader event scope. It should not be read as the number already without power. PG&E’s earlier forecast covered dry offshore winds through October 17; that weather window is not a restoration deadline for an individual home. Scope and timing can change.
Red Flag Warning, PSPS or an affected address?
These describe different things:
- Red Flag Warning: the National Weather Service is warning of dangerous fire-weather conditions. It is not an address-level utility notice.
- PSPS: a utility deliberately switches off selected equipment to reduce wildfire risk. PG&E lists several decision factors, including winds, humidity, vegetation, weather warnings and observations.
- Your address status: the utility’s lookup and notifications tell you what applies to your location. Nearby streets can have different service status.
This report concerns PG&E. Our separate Southern California fire-weather report discusses Santa Ana conditions and Southern California Edison; its utility information should not be used to determine a PG&E address’s status.
Check your address and a place to recharge
Open PG&E’s PSPS updates and choose Get shutoff status by address. Use the complete service address, then read the displayed status and any estimated start or restoration time. Treat estimates as changeable. Save the information and the time you checked it so the household can refer to it if connectivity becomes limited.
Review the phone and email details PG&E uses for your alerts. Check another important address separately, such as a relative’s home, rather than applying your result to theirs. This article cannot determine any reader’s current outage status.
PG&E’s support page lists Community Resource Centers (CRCs) with charging, Wi-Fi, water and snacks. Check the listed location and hours before traveling; centers are daytime resources, not a promise of overnight power. PG&E also directs customers to 211 for local support. Ask about transport or access needs before setting out.
If anyone depends on electrically powered medical equipment or temperature-sensitive medicine, follow the provider’s and equipment maker’s backup plan now. Check the accessibility support linked by PG&E. A public charging location or a battery purchase does not establish that a medical need is covered.
A calm plan for the next 24–72 hours
Use this as a household planning window, not a prediction of outage duration. Start with supplies you already have:
- Keep communications together. Charge phones and existing power banks while power is available. Put cables, a paper contact list and a working battery radio in one place. Agree on how to check in with a household member who is away.
- Put lighting where it will be used. Locate battery lights, spare batteries and the route to the bathroom. Check that everyone can reach them without searching in the dark.
- Make food decisions early. Note when power goes out and keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. FoodSafety.gov says a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for up to four hours without power. Follow its discard chart for perishables; never taste food to decide whether it is safe. A full, closed freezer holds a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours, or 24 hours when half full. These food-storage limits do not predict battery runtime.
- Check essentials and access. Review drinking water, ready-to-eat food, routine medications, pet supplies and an accessible way to leave or reach support. Use the 72-hour kit checklist to identify specific gaps.
- Plan for a cooler night if relevant. Put warm layers and blankets within reach. Our winter power-outage checklist helps review that part of the plan; this PSPS report is not a local temperature forecast.
Keep fuel generators outdoors
CPSC’s carbon monoxide guidance says portable fuel generators must operate outdoors, at least 20 feet from homes, with exhaust directed away. Never run one inside a home or garage, even with doors or windows open.
Use working battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas. If you suspect CO poisoning, get outside to fresh air immediately, then call 911. Follow the generator’s instructions and local safety directions; a weather-related outage does not make indoor operation safe.
Our recommendation: close a specific gap before buying
Check the address result, people who need support and the equipment already in your home first. If communications are the gap, compare emergency radios against the alerts you can receive locally. If essential appliances need backup, compare researched home-backup power stations only after checking their loads and a safe recharge plan. No model here comes with a guaranteed outage runtime. The household checklist is the starting point; shopping follows a defined need.
