A regional Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) warning does not confirm that your home will lose power. Check the current address-level map and alerts from the utility that serves you. As of October 3, 2026, SDG&E’s seven-day outlook showed warnings for October 3 and 4, with October 5–9 marked “Not Forecasted”; that regional outlook can change and does not identify every affected address. Southern California Edison (SCE) says its PSPS procedures are changing for 2026 and warns that shutoffs could happen more often, last longer, or affect more customers.
What a PSPS warning means—and what it doesn’t
A PSPS is a preventive power cutoff that an investor-owned utility may use as a last resort when it reasonably believes dangerous conditions could cause electrical equipment to start a wildfire. The California Public Utilities Commission describes the risk as strong winds toppling power lines or vegetation-related problems increasing wildfire danger. A shutoff is meant to reduce risk from utility equipment; it does not mean a fire has started, nor does it eliminate wildfire risk. California Public Utilities Commission: Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
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A warning describes potential risk across a region, not a confirmed shutoff for every customer in it. The utility’s live status tools are the place to check whether a specific address is affected. Forecasts and conditions can change, and unexpected weather can limit how much advance notice a utility can provide. SCE says customers may not receive every advance notice in time to prepare.
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Start by confirming your electric utility, then use its live outage or PSPS map and sign up for its notifications. SDG&E’s regional outlook accessed on October 3, 2026, showed warnings for October 3 and 4 and “Not Forecasted” for October 5–9. Those labels reflected SDG&E’s outlook at that time—not an address-specific shutoff order or a complete map of Southern California. For SDG&E information, see its PSPS status and FAQ page.
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What SCE says is changing for 2026
In an article published August 14, 2026, SCE said PSPS events could be used more frequently, last longer, and affect more customers in 2026—including some who have not experienced a shutoff before. SCE cited three protocol adjustments: an improved fire-potential formula, refined wind-speed triggers using updated circuit and environmental risk factors, and the possibility of earlier shutoffs on high-risk circuits forecast to experience unusually high winds. These are SCE’s stated plans and expectations, not a prediction that a particular address will lose power. SCE: “Is PSPS Changing?”.
SCE’s 2026 action plan describes PSPS as a last resort under extreme fire-risk weather. It says its goals are to protect public safety while keeping power on for as many customers as possible, communicate before, during, and after an event, reduce customer impacts, and restore service as safely and quickly as possible. The plan reports these SCE PSPS event counts:
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| Year | SCE-reported PSPS events |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2025 | 14 |
These are event counts in SCE’s plan, not counts of affected customers or measures of outage duration. SCE’s 2026 Public Safety Power Shutoff Action Plan was filed May 28, 2026.
How utilities decide whether to shut off power
There is no single wind reading that explains every decision. SDG&E says it weighs wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity, dry vegetation, in-person ground inspections, and input from fire agencies. It also describes using weather stations and cameras. Conditions can vary along the same power line, so a circuit may be shut off even when a nearby neighborhood seems calm. SDG&E’s PSPS information.
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The equipment serving your home matters too. A home with underground service may still lose power if it relies on an upstream line or above-ground equipment that is de-energized. A local outage can therefore reflect risks elsewhere on the circuit rather than conditions directly outside your home.
How long an outage may last and why restoration can take time
SDG&E says a PSPS outage may last from several hours to multiple days, depending on weather and whether equipment needs repair. Safer weather is only one condition for restoration: crews must inspect lines and equipment, remove hazards, and repair damage before power can return.
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Inspections can take longer when darkness, rugged terrain, or unsafe helicopter conditions slow field patrols. Neighboring properties may be on different circuits and come back online at different times. SDG&E says it prioritizes critical facilities such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. SDG&E’s PSPS information.
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How to prepare for a possible shutoff
Set up alerts and follow live updates
- Confirm which utility serves your home and enroll in its outage and PSPS notifications. Keep your account phone number and email current. SDG&E says people who do not have an account in their own name, including renters and caregivers, can register for alerts.
- Use the utility’s live address-level map and official updates to check your status. A regional warning or headline cannot confirm whether your particular address will be shut off.
Make a household plan and gather essentials
- Make and practice an emergency plan that covers medications, key contacts, pets, meeting arrangements, and how to open an electric garage door manually.
- Prepare supplies for an extended outage. SCE lists water, flashlights, a battery-operated radio, working batteries, a first-aid kit, blankets, and pet items.
SCE’s June 2026 high-fire-risk-area newsletter reports the utility’s mitigation work, with figures current as of March 31, 2026: more than 7,110 circuit miles of covered conductor installed since 2018; more than 90 circuit miles of targeted undergrounding completed since 2018; and 76% of distribution lines in high fire-risk areas hardened. SCE also reports more than 160 sectionalizing devices, approximately 2,000 weather stations, and approximately 200 wildfire cameras installed since 2018, along with more than 1.8 million equipment inspections and more than 2.8 million vegetation trims and removals. These are SCE-reported figures. SCE’s June 2026 “Keeping Communities Safe” newsletter.
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Plan for medical needs and backup power
If someone in your household relies on powered medical equipment, contact your utility about applicable medical or access-and-functional-needs programs and arrange a backup plan. SDG&E describes its Medical Baseline program and recommends exploring safe backup power for critical equipment. For a generator or other backup system, SDG&E advises consulting a licensed electrician and the utility. Choose equipment based on the actual power requirements of critical devices; no single portable unit should be assumed to run every appliance, medical device, or an entire home. SDG&E: Be Prepared for a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Know where to get support and how to handle a downed line
Find your utility’s Community Resource Center or equivalent support location and confirm whether it is open during an actual event. SDG&E says its centers may offer charging, water, snacks, and outage information; SCE describes charging and other on-site support.
If you see a downed power line, do not approach or touch it. SCE says to stay at least 100 feet away, warn others, and call 911.
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