Massive Winter Storm Leaves Thousands in Los Angeles Without Power

A historic winter storm has caused power outages for thousands of residents in the Southland area of Los Angeles, with some customers possibly having to wait until late Saturday or Sunday to have their electricity restored, according to utility officials.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison reported multiple large outages beginning on Friday. As of 10 a.m. on Saturday, 52,000 customers had been restored, while 66,500 remained without power out of LADWP's 1.5 million customers.

Despite pouring rain and strong winds, crews worked overnight to restore power, but customers experiencing outages should expect crews to respond between 12-24 hours from the time the outages are reported. Restoration may take longer depending on field conditions, the LADWP tweeted on Friday.

The outages included a significant one in East Hollywood affecting over 2,200 customers, one in Hollywood affecting more than 1,100 customers, one in Los Feliz affecting over 900 customers, and one in Toluca Lake affecting 874 customers, along with smaller scattered outages across Los Angeles County.

In the North Hollywood, Valley Village, and Studio City areas, several hundred customers were without power, and restoration is not expected until late Saturday.

As of 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, SCE's outage map showed 56 outages affecting more than 10,500 customers in Los Angeles County, with an additional 13 outages in Orange County affecting more than 566 customers.

The utility estimated that power would be restored by 10 or 11 p.m. in the affected areas. In the meantime, residents are advised to take necessary precautions to stay safe and warm, such as using blankets or layers of clothing and avoiding the use of candles due to the risk of fire.

Winter storms are not common in Los Angeles, but this historic storm has brought heavy rain, strong winds, and snowfall to the region. The storm has caused flooding, mudslides, and power outages across Southern California, with several highways and roads closed due to dangerous conditions.