California
Power outages hit thousands in California as diablo winds blow in
Thousands of Northern California residents are facing power outages as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) shut off electricity across 12 counties due to the strong, dry “Diablo winds,” which have heightened wildfire risks in the region.
By Friday morning, around 13,000 customers had lost power, according to PG&E, with the outages expected to continue through the weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued red flag warnings for fire danger across California, covering areas from the central coast to northern Shasta County. Meanwhile, meteorologists predict winds of up to 35 miles per hour, with gusts reaching as high as 65 mph in the mountains.
“This could end up being the most significant wind event for this year so far. We want to tell people to be cautious,” said Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist with the NWS Bay Area office, the Associated Press reported.
Diablo winds, which are common in the fall, occur when hot, dry air blows from California’s interior toward the coast. This phenomenon dries out vegetation, creating dangerous conditions for wildfires.
PG&E implemented power shutoffs to prevent potential fire hazards from its power lines during the high-risk period. Counties affected include Alameda, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and more in the northern part of the state. Meanwhile, PG&E warned that additional shutoffs could affect up to 20,000 customers in the coming days.
These measures are part of a broader strategy aimed at avoiding disasters similar to past fire seasons, which were exacerbated by downed power lines.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File
Southern California is also bracing for another wind event, the Santa Ana winds.
Known for their warm, gusty conditions, these winds are expected to affect Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Meteorologists are predicting gusts of up to 55 mph in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.
“Humidities are drying out and we have the winds, if we had a fire spark it could really spread quickly because of the current conditions,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the NWS’s Los Angeles-area office, the AP reported.
He explained that winds around greater Los Angeles won’t be as powerful as up north, with gusts between 25 and 40 mph (40 and 64 kph) possible in mountains and foothills.
Power outages remain a possibility in Southern California as utilities monitor the situation, with red flag warnings remaining in place through the weekend for several parts of the region.
Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada faces its own set of challenges, as snowfall is forecast for mountaintops near Lake Tahoe. Winds around the lake could gust up to 70 mph, and the NWS issued the first freeze warning of the season, predicting temperatures could drop into the low 20s Fahrenheit.
“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the NWS warned.
The warning covers areas from Carson City in Nevada to northern California.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
A 17-year-old suspect has been arrested in Texas in connection with the deadly shooting after a high school graduation ceremony in Fairfield, California last month, police said.
Fairfield police said U.S. Marshals, accompanied by department detectives, served search and arrest warrants Friday morning at a home in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The teen was taken into custody without incident on suspicion of murder and related offenses.
Investigators said the suspect fled California and traveled to Texas within days of the June 3 shooting. He will remain in custody while awaiting extradition to Solano County.
The shooting happened after Sem Yeto Continuation High School’s graduation ceremony, which was held on the Fairfield High School campus.
Police said 18-year-old graduate Jamario Baker died at the scene. Three others – an 11-year-old child and two adults, ages 20 and 25 – were wounded.
Authorities have not released the suspect’s name because he is a minor.
Although an arrest has been made, police said the investigation remains active and detectives continue to pursue additional leads.
“While today’s announcement may provide a measure of relief to some, it does not lessen the pain felt by our community,” the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District said in a statement.
Police plan to hold a news conference Monday at 4 p.m. to discuss the case and arrest.
Fairfield is a Northern California city about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco.
A California bill would let insurers monitor customers’ driving data in exchange for discounted premiums.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, the author of AB 311, said the digital monitoring, known as telematics, rewards good driving and would improve safety. In real time, telematics technology would track data such as speed, location and how a vehicle is being driven.
“We have to slow people down,” McKinnor said. “That is the whole purpose for this bill, is driver safety.”
A voter-approved law from 1988, Prop 103, required insurance rates to be based mainly on driving record, miles driven and experience. It made California the only state in the country to prohibit telematics.
McKinnor believes the law is outdated. She argued that her bill would also help good drivers who pay higher rates because of where they live.
“Where I live definitely brings my insurance up,” McKinnor said. “If we both drive the same way, we’ll get charged the same way, instead of by our ZIP code.”
California’s Department of Insurance and consumer groups oppose the bill, citing privacy concerns.
“We can’t look behind the algorithm and see what weight it’s giving to different criteria, which is a big problem,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “Auto insurance, otherwise, is transparent. This is why the Department of Insurance is opposed, because of the lack of transparency in the algorithm.”
The proposed savings in exchange for good driving might not be guaranteed. Telematics data from the Maryland Insurance Administration showed that 31% of drivers who opted into the program saw a drop in rates, 24% saw an increase and 45% saw no change to their premiums.
“This collects an awful lot of data about people, more than they know, and it’s like having Big Brother in your back seat,” Court said.
McKinnor insisted that drivers will not be forced to enroll in the program.
“It’s still opt-in in the other 49 states,” she said. “We’re not going to make this mandatory. It’ll be a per-volunteer situation.”
McKinnor’s bill passed through the legislature’s insurance committee. It’s expected to be presented to the full Senate in August.
Huntington Beach police are vowing to prevent a potential “takeover” event being promoted across social media that they believe could get out of control.
Police said they became aware of the event from a flyer online advertising an “end of summer beach bash” in the city.
“Dear ‘Beach Bash’ organizers…” police said in an Instagram post Thursday. “Thanks for the flyer. We’ve seen it too.”
They continued, “We have no intention of allowing that to happen here.”
No further details were provided about when the event was planned to take place or the exact location.
Police and the city of Huntington Beach said they’re working to prevent the event following similar events in Southern California that resulted in violence, vandalism and other criminal activity.
One chaotic event that was held in Newport Beach on the Fourth of July ended with more than 400 people being arrested, according to police. Some partygoers were seen fist fighting, while others allegedly vandalized property and local businesses, including a Pavilions grocery store.
Newport Beach police said social media posts drew a large influx of people to Newport Pier in a short amount of time, and the event got out of control.
Huntington Beach PD warned that anyone who organizes, promotes or participates in criminal activity associated with a takeover event may be arrested or prosecuted. Charges may include incitement to riot, vandalism, theft, assault, reckless driving, unlawful assembly, conspiracy or other applicable offenses.
They also warned that juveniles would not be exempt from punishment, and parents or guardians may also be liable for damages caused by their child’s actions.
The HBPD Special Investigations Bureau has already identified individuals believed to be involved in organizing and promoting the event, according to police.
If you have information regarding this event, you are urged to contact Huntington PD’s Special Investigations Bureau at 714-536-5991.
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