Dayslong power outage wears on East Palo Alto families
EAST PALO ALTO -- After three days without power, some residents in East Palo Alto finally saw their lights come back on Thursday night.
The power outage came at a particularly tough time with temperatures plunging into the 30s. Residents were left in the dark with no way to heat their homes or cook their food.
Selina Latu described the experience as "no good at all." She spent days sitting on her couch, huddled under a blanket trying to stay warm.
Roderick Patterson, who lives next door to Latu, had a similar experience. He said that it was just as cold inside his house as it was outside.
"It's been kind of hard. It's been hard. It's been very cold. Very cold," Patterson said.
During the power outage, residents were forced to get creative. Many sat in their cars, charging their phones just so they could get updates on when the power would come back on.
Even with updates from PG&E, the power remained off for many residents, including Latu, who was told the power would be restored in the afternoon. Her home remained dark well into Thursday evening.
The power outage presented a particular challenge for families with children.
"There's no warm water, the stove is off, all the food in the refrigerator is not good," Latu said.
Latu expressed concern for her family's safety while she was at work.
"I'm just really worried about the kids when I left 'cause there is no light around and we don't trust anywhere.," she said.
Despite the challenges, the Latus found one small silver lining in the power outage as, for a time, cellphones were set aside allowing them more time to bond as a family.