Millions of California residents were left in the dark this week when Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) intentionally cut power to large sections of the state; saying high winds could down power lines and cause forest fires.
“Gusts topping freeway speed raked the San Francisco Bay Area early Thursday after California’s biggest utility shut off electricity to nearly 2 million people for fear high winds in the forecast could bring down power lines and spark deadly wildfires,” reports the Associated Press.
“Unprecedented in scope, the deliberate outages that started early Wednesday forced schools and businesses to close and otherwise disrupted life for many people, bringing criticism down on PG& E from the governor and ordinary customers alike,” adds the AP.
California’s surreal blackout:
In Eureka, “it’s pretty much pandemonium here… You couldn’t get gas last night and there was a two-hour wait at the grocery store to check out.”
Stoplights were out Wednesday, and traffic was backed up in every direction: https://t.co/hfqvSfhflP
— Matt Pearce ???? (@mattdpearce) October 10, 2019
“It’s just kind of scary. It feels worse than Y2K. We don’t know how long,” said one Oakland resident. “My two kids, their school situation keeps moving every second. It’s not clear if we need to pack for a week and go out of town or what to do. So I’m just trying to make sure we have water, food, charging stations and gas.”
Wind gusts are expected to top 70 miles per hour.
Read the full report at the Associated Press.
CALIFORNIA CHAOS: 53% Consider ‘FLEEING’ the State Due to Crime, Homeless, Taxes, MORE
A stunning new survey published this week shows just how difficult life’s become for the average California resident; revealing a shocking 53% of those asked said they are considering “fleeing” the region over crime, housing, and high taxes.
“Fifty-three percent of Californians surveyed are considering fleeing, representing a jump over the 49 percent polled a year ago,” writes CNBC.
“There’s no doubt that California’s economy, for all of its strengths when it comes to innovation and creating these industries that people want to be part of, is struggling with high costs,” said a leading economist. “Costs have gotten way ahead of incomes in California, and that’s making a lot of people think about whether it’s worth the hurdles.”
“California just doesn’t strike them as reasonable,” he added.
Read the full report here.
CALIFORNIA CHAOS: Bay Area Outraged After 91-Year-Old Man Beaten, Robbed Visiting Wife’s Grave
Bay Area residents were outraged over the weekend after police say a 91-year-old man was robbed and beaten while visiting the grave of his wife at a local cemetery.
“Santa Clara police said Thursday they’re looking for the suspect who violently attacked and robbed an elderly man who was sitting next to his wife’s grave,” reports CBS San Francisco. “Police said the victim, 91, was sitting in a chair next to his wife’s grave on Saturday, Sept. 14th at 10:42 a.m. when he was struck on the head with a large rock and then robbed.”
“How anyone could even think of hurting him is just beyond me,” said one local resident. “It’s sickening, it’s just sickening.”
“Turn yourself in, you can’t carry that stuff with you,” said another.
Read the full report at CBS San Francisco.