On Tuesday, a record-setting heat wave made life miserable in a large portion of the Western United States, with California entering its second week of excessive heat that taxed the state’s power supply and threatened power shortages that could lead to blackouts as people desperately tried to keep cool.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO), which manages the state’s electrical system, raised its Energy Emergency Alert level from 2 to 3 at 5:15 p.m. local time, increasing the likelihood of power disruptions. It had previously warned that there could be “cycling power disruptions” on Tuesday evening, when statewide demand was set to reach a record-breaking 52,000 megawatts.
“As grid conditions deteriorated, it was judged that electricity sources were insufficient to meet demand and reserves,” the ISO said Tuesday evening.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which distributes electricity to a substantial portion of Northern and Central California, tweeted that it had alerted 525,000 customers who could experience rolling blackouts on Tuesday evening that could last “one to two hours.”
According to the ISO, the interruptions allow electricity firms to “reduce demand” and “stabilize the system.” The ISO stated that residents will be contacted by their power companies regarding the location and duration of outages.
The state of California has been under a Flex Alert for multiple days in a row. Under a Flex Alert, which typically applies between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., people are encouraged to save energy by, among other things, setting their air conditioning to 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, shutting off lights, and avoiding the use of major appliances. Tuesday evening, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted a warning about the Flex Alert. In an earlier video message, he had advised locals to save energy, stating that “the possibility of power disruptions is real and imminent.”
California is now in Flex Alert.
What does this entail? During this record-breaking heatwave, we all need to preserve as much energy as possible.
Here are your options till 9 p.m. tonight:
– Adjust thermometers to 78
– Turn off unneeded lighting
– Avoid employing bulky equipments
September 7, 2022 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom)
On Tuesday, September 6, 2022, Debbie Chang offers a bottle of water to a man on the street in Sacramento, California. Unseen, Chang and Kim Burrell distributed water and refreshments to individuals in need on the streets. Tuesday is expected to see record-breaking high temperatures in the Sacramento area. Rich Pedroncelli / AP
“This heat wave is on track to be the hottest and longest September heat wave on record for the state and most of the West,” Newsom said. Everyone must do their share to assist for a few additional days.
Sacramento, the state capital of California, tied a record on Tuesday when it reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the 41st consecutive day (38 degrees Celsius). According to the National Weather Service, there was a potential that the city will surpass its record high temperature of 114 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) established in 1925.
Debbie Chang, a native of Sacramento, was going through Capitol Park on Tuesday morning while hauling a wagon containing Pop-Tarts and water to distribute to homeless individuals. She resides in an old home with ineffective wall-mounted units, according to her. Monday night, the temperature in her home hit 91 degrees (33 degrees Celsius).
She stated, “The previous few years in California have been quite difficult.” “I absolutely adore this state. And I never dreamed as a child that I would desire to live outside of California, save perhaps abroad. However, this is quite difficult.”
Temperatures reached 94 degrees (34 C) just before noon on Tuesday in San Francisco, a city famed for its mild summer climate where the majority of residents do not have air conditioning. Tuesday’s high temperatures in Los Angeles caused the nation’s second-largest school system to restrict the usage of asphalt and concrete playgrounds.
In neighboring Nevada, Reno set a record of 102 degrees (39 C) on Monday, while in Salt Lake City, Utah — a city at an elevation of more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) — temperatures were approximately 20 degrees above normal, reaching 105 degrees (40.5 C) on Tuesday, the hottest September day recorded since 1874.
The deadliest heat wave in California in decades stresses the power grid at 3:23
According to scientists, climate change has caused the West to get warmer and drier over the past three decades, and will continue to make the weather more intense and wildfires more catastrophic. The last five years have seen the largest and most devastating flames in California’s history.
Friday’s wildfire in the Northern California city of Weed claimed the lives of two individuals, and Monday’s blaze in the Hemet region of Southern California also claimed two lives. Authorities reported that they were discovered in the same spot and died while attempting to escape the fire.
Extremely high temperatures are forecast to persist for several more days, despite the heat wave reaching its height in most locations on Tuesday.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles Institute of Environment and Sustainability, remarked, “From a human health standpoint, this is a truly frightening event.”
Officials of Sacramento County utilized the air-conditioned lobbies of a number of their public buildings as cooling centers for those with nowhere else to go, and provided free transportation for those who were unable to reach them. According to county spokeswoman Janna Haynes, some homeless individuals even received lodging coupons as part of a program that is typically reserved for the winter.
“While many folks can stay at home, many do not have a place to stay,” Haynes said.
At 5 p.m., the thermostats in state office buildings were set to 85 degrees (29 degrees Celsius) to conserve energy.
Ariana Clark, a native of Sacramento, could not recall it ever being this hot for this long. She stated that she turned off her air conditioner in the afternoons in an effort to conserve electricity and kept her 9-month-old son, Benito, cool by filling a pail with water for him to play in outside.
Clark stated, “As long as he maintains his composure, that’s all that matters.”
Juliana Hinch, who relocated to Sacramento from San Diego two and a half years ago, claims she has never seen such heat. She stated that nearby wetlands had largely dried up, so she provides water in her front yard “for other random animals,” such as cats, squirrels, and coyotes.
Hinch stated that she formerly resided in Washington state but left because the climate was too cold. She remarked, “That sounds like a good problem to have.”
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