Los Angeles power outages: Thousands without electricity amid SoCal heat wave

Thousands without power amid heat wave

As of Monday morning, SoCal Edison reported 94 outages and 3,034 customers impacted. LADWP confirmed there were 7,800 customers without power.

TORRANCE, Calif. - As Southern California continues through a brutal heat wave, stress on the power grid has left many without power across Los Angeles County.

Several cities across Southern California reached record highs on Friday. While the worst of the heat wave is over, temperatures across the region remain in the 90s and into the 100s.

The high temperatures have led to more people relying on appliances like air conditioning systems, stressing the power grid.

As of 8 p.m. Monday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the outage impacts 10,593 of its approximately 1.5 million electricity customers, up from about 6,700 that was initially reported at noon, but down from about 15,200 on Sunday night.

Lincoln Heights, Arlington Heights, Highland Park and Pacoima were among the most-impacted areas, according to the utility.

Power outages across LA amid extended heat wave

As Southern California continues through an oppressive heat wave, stress on the power grid has left many without power across Los Angeles County.

The demand led to outages in the Torrance area over the weekend. Local businesses, including about half of Del Amo Mall, were without electricity for hours.

"We came to the mall to hang out in a nice, air-conditioned, covered area," said David Sanchez. "Now, half the mall doesn’t even have power."

Customers at a local Chase Bank were frustrated by the outages, unable to make withdrawals from the ATM.

The outages also affected several traffic lights in the area, creating significant traffic backups.

Southern California Edison workers were seen at a local substation attempting repairs. One worker told FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff that the increased demand from recent heat caused some of the failures.

Torrance wasn't the only city reporting outages over the weekend. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported more than 7,000 outages across the city, with the neighborhoods of Exposition Park, Highland Park and Silver Lake being the most adversely affected.

LADWP said the outages were due to high temperatures, saying that electric equipment can "overheat when it doesn't have the ability to cool overnight." Overnight highs across the region have been higher than normal during this extended heat wave.

More information on LADWP outages and repairs can be found by tapping or clicking here.

Homes in Rancho Palos Verdes have been without power for several days, after SCE shut it off over concerns from land movement. But residents who still have power, say powering their air conditioners is a struggle.

"We have a small portable air conditioner, and it has tripped the breaker three times already," said Paul Picillo, a resident in Rancho Palos Verdes. "We’ve lost power twice."

Pasadena experienced similar issues. The city initiated rolling blackouts Friday, after what Pasadena Water & Power described as "equipment failure caused by high heat." Power has since been restored to all customers.

For more information on SoCal Edison across the region, check out their outage map by tapping or clicking here.

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