Edison International : SCE Crews Restore Power Amid Intense Mountain Storms

Amid freezing nighttime temperatures and dense fog, Southern California Edison crews were deployed to the Lake Arrowhead area to restore power. During the recent snowstorm, trees fell on powerlines and knocked down poles, causing widespread damage and leaving close to 9,000 customers without power.

"The intensity of the storm and the sounds of tree branches coming down around us was unlike anything I have ever experienced in my 39 years working at SCE," said Karen Golde, SCE Arrowhead District manager. "When night came, we could only hear creaking sounds but could not see what was about to fall. All crews needed to constantly be aware of their surroundings as they worked to restore power to the community."

SCE deployed 32 electrical restoration crews and 13 troublemen, the experts trained to be the first deployed during outage emergencies. Also on the job: ten vegetation management crews to clear branches and fallen trees, another dozen damage assessment teams, and helicopters, all coordinated by district staff from a mobile command center.

During the weeklong restoration effort, crews replaced seven transformers, 20 poles and more than 35,000 feet of conductor wire.

"One morning, I counted a dozen line trucks going past my house like a Rose Parade of rescuers," said David Caine, a local resident. "It was great! Thank you for all the crews who came into Lake Arrowhead Crest Estates for over a week of constant work."

The crews worked 16-hour shifts in rough, remote terrain with communication challenges posed by limited cell service and internet connection. Further complicating the response, several roads were closed, and those that remained open were clogged with downed trees and stranded vehicles. SCE crews, equipped with snow chains, navigated icy side roads up the mountain.

"We knew that our customers in the Lake Arrowhead mountain communities were without power in freezing temperatures, and it was imperative for us to do everything we couldin these challenging conditions to restore their power as quickly as possible," said Golde. "Keeping our crews and our communities safe is a value that drove every decision we made."

Customers may report outages by calling 1-800-611-1911, visiting the website, or through the SCE Outages app. SCE provides the latest information about outages at its website and via Facebook and Twitter.