Update from Kate - Evolving Power Outage Situation in Southern Marin

Update from Kate

PG&E Public Safety Power Shut-off & Red Flag Warning Continues in Southern Marin

 

As you all are well aware, many of us in Southern Marin – as well as our neighbors in other areas of the County and in surrounding counties of the bay – are dealing with the impacts of a PG&E Public Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS) event while we wait out the severe winds expected today and tomorrow. During a Red Flag Warning such as the one currently in place, we are all responsible for being safe and vigilant of our surroundings, helping to prevent any activities that might spark a fire in our very dry environment.

While the situation evolves, I and others at the County of Marin are focused on our residents, businesses, and employees having the resources to deal with the disruption in electricity service. The effects of living without electricity impact so many aspects of our daily lives, and the consequences range from inconvenient to deadly. We are taking this very seriously and recognize the importance of regular, timely, accurate communication to help keep everyone safe.

Below is a list of charging station locations in Southern Marin that had open hours today. They were set up as places to go to plug in a life-saving medical device, cell phone, or other small electronics. This list may not be comprehensive and details could change – we do not know at this moment if these same places will be open tomorrow or during what hours:

• Marin County Sheriff’s Office Substation in Marin City, 850 Drake Avenue – 415-332-5422
• Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto – 415-383-1370
• Sausalito Public Library, 420 Litho Street – 415-289-4121
• Sausalito City Hall, 420 Litho Street – 415-289-4100
• Sausalito Parks & Recreation Office, 420 Litho Street -– 415-289-4152 
• Tamalpais Valley Community Services District office, 305 Bell Lane – 415-388-6393
• Strawberry Recreation Center, 118 E. Strawberry Drive – 415-383-6494

To make sure you have the most current information, please stay connected with your local city/town offices, community centers, libraries, community service district offices, and recreation centers. Follow them on social media or sign up for email notifications so you can be informed of changing circumstances and be advised where you can go for information and resources. You can also call Marin Health & Human Services at 415-457-INFO, a hotline for getting connected with available resources including medical health needs, food assistance, etc. If that number is not available, you can also dial 2-1-1.

I also encourage everyone to sign up to receive safety and emergency information alerts:

• Nixle – safety information specific to your zip code – sign up by texting your zip code to 888-777
• AlertMarin – information on immediate threats to personal safety or property, tailored to an address of your choosing – go to https://www.marinsheriff.org/services/emergency-services/alert-marin
• PG&E PSPS – notifications for Public Safety Power Shut-offs – sign up by texting ENROLL to 97633, or by calling 1-877-9000-PGE

Lastly, I want you to know that we are engaged with our elected officials at the state level about what is happening in our community and how it is tied to PG&E’s bankruptcy process. We have reached out to PG&E and are coordinating with local elected officials to determine what resources are available and where to locate those resources so our communities can access them. Also, there are and will continue to be conversations about who is responsible for paying for the consequences of PSPS events.

In the coming hours and days, please join me in taking this opportunity to plan for future emergency situations that could result from earthquake, fire, and flood. Make a grab-and-go bag for your home/car/workplace, discuss your evacuation route and meet-up spot with your family, write down a list of phone numbers for friends and family, and stock up on supplies of potable water and non-perishable food. Resources on what to do to prepare are available at https://readymarin.org/plan-prepare/. Let’s do all we can today to prepare ourselves for what may happen tomorrow and in the future.