Thousands In the Dark On When Power Will Return, Power Companies Give Few Answers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The question everyone wants an answer to — how much longer will they be waiting for their power to come back on?
"They said 1:43, then 3:43, then 8:43," said Mariah Gonzalez, a Woodland mom to an infant, just trying to keep warm given the circumstances. She's awaiting when PG&E crews may visit her Woodland neighborhood.
"I did light some candles to keep it warm at night," she said.
Power companies like SMUD and PG&E are feeling the heat from people without any, as they enter day two without power. Thousands are in the dark about when the outage may end, and power companies aren't giving a clear timeline, either.
"It's just a matter of making those repairs, but we're working around the clock," said Megan McFarland, spokesperson for PG&E.
It's no easy flip of a switch, and crews are out from several different areas to bring power back.
"We brought in crews from less-impacted areas and are working with other western utility companies, too," McFarland said.
In some counties, like Yolo, many people say PG&E wasn't even aware of their power outages, calling attention to a computer glitch.
"We want those customers to know," McFarland said. "If you're without power and the map says you have power – we know about those power outages."
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In more urban areas, like Sacramento, there's still difficulty in getting remaining homes in neighborhoods like Arden back online.
"There's a lot of customers out there, and a lot of lines are overhead instead of underground," said Christopher Capra, a spokesperson for SMUD.
SMUD hopes to have repairs done by Friday, but still can't be certain. PG&E won't give out an exact time frame, but some customers have told CBS13 they may not see power again until January 31.
For many people, the light at the end of the tunnel still looks dim.