Power outage affects Menifee residents for 12 hours

SCE trucks line up along Menifee Road to repair a broken gas switch on the border of Wheatfield Park Monday. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

Hundreds of residents in east Menifee neighborhoods surrounding Wheatfield Park were without power for more than 12 hours Monday while Southern California Edison crews made a major equipment repair.

Power was lost about 7:30 a.m. and wasn't restored to all customers until almost 8 p.m. Menifee 24/7 received reports of power outages from readers east, north and south of the problem site, including The Lakes, Hidden Meadows, Shadow Mountain and other developments. One report from SCE at midday listed 817 customers affected.

The original estimate for restoration of power from SCE was 9:30 a.m., which would've been an outage of about two hours. That estimate eventually was revised to 7:30 p.m. and at one point to 11 p.m. while crews worked at a utility site on the west side of Menifee Road, just south of La Piedra Road and bordering Wheatfield Park.

An SCE crew member told Menifee 24/7 at the repair site that the outage was due to the failure of a gas switch. He described it as a major piece of equipment that requires extensive repair when older parts give out. Crews finished their work and left the site around 7 p.m., and power was restored to customers by about 7:45.

During the all-day power outage, residents coped as best they could. Those with solar panels had limited power. One resident who runs her business out of her house said she had power from a generator but no Internet connection to conduct business online. Others went to the store for ice to help keep refrigerated items cold.

Three schools in the area -- Southshore Elementary School, Bell Mountain Middle School and Mt. San Jacinto College -- were without power for parts of the day. Southshore was without power the longest, running on generators for several hours. Classes went on as scheduled, however.

The SCE website reminds customers of a few safety tips in preparation for or during a power outage:

-- Switch off the lights (except one). You can help prevent damage to your electronics and appliances by unplugging them -- computers, stereos, televisions and air conditioners. After the electricity is restored, you can plug them in again.

-- Get updates from a battery-powered radio if it’s a storm or emergency situation. If it’s a hot day, find relief from the heat at a nearby cool center.

-- Keep a fully charged cell phone on hand. During power outages, you may lose phone service, and your cordless phone may also lose power.

-- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. It helps keep the food cool. Before eating food items, check them for spoilage.

-- If you see a downed power line, do not touch it. Call 911 immediately.