SHERMAN OAKS—Thousands of residents in the Sherman Oaks area suffered from power outages Tuesday, December 5 after strong winds knocked down electrical lines.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported that more than 6,3000 customers were without electricity in the San Fernando Valley as of Tuesday at noon. Outages were primarily reported in Canoga Park, Sherman Oaks, and Tujunga. The downed lines were attributed to heavy winds. No outages were reported in connection with the ongoing Creek Fire in Sylmar, which has reached more than 4,000 acres.
Santa Ana winds reached their highest point of the season this week; with speeds ranging between 25 to 40 mph. Specific gusts were recorded as reaching as high as 60 mph. The winds have significantly hampered efforts to fight several wildfires across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. According to the National Weather Service, red flag warnings will remain in effect until Thursday.
In a statement on Twitter at approximately 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, the LADWP reported that “8,140 of our 1.5 million customers were without power due to the wind storm.”
Residents who come across downed power lines should assume they are electrified and not touch. Residents are asked to contact emergency services at 911 immediately if they discover downed power lines.
