Update: PG&E advises people not to keep things plugged in; it can cause a fire hazard if everything comes on all at once. As of 6:30pm, 28,000 customers were still without power.
At Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, generators allowed for a few computers per floor to keep working, allowing medical staff to keep on top of patient history and update treatment as needed.
According to PG&E, the damage was not caused by a third party. They've hired Exponent Inc. to analyze what went wrong, Exponent staff are on site now and will be there throughout the night as the investigation continues.
Still in the dark, literally and metaphorically, since early this morning?
You're not alone.
All over Facebook, residents of the Monterey Peninsula, parts of North Salinas and up the coast to Castroville are talking about if and when they can expect their electricity to come back on. Nearly 55,000 people spent much of the day without power as a damaged tower next to the Dynegy Power Plant at a PG&E electric yard in Moss Landing caused a high voltage power line to come down about 7am.
One group of Marina residents seen at Bull & Bear in downtown Monterey (which has power), is celebrating its newfound status as a place of respite from first world Armageddon, saying, "We have gas! We have free flowing electricity! We welcome refugees with open arms to drink in our generosity."
Chevrons have run crime scene style tape around their pumps.
Traffic is meaner than ever for places with stop lights out and drivers forced to do the rotational stop sign sequence. (But if they play it right, using turn lanes and other resourcefulness, it can reduce time in car.)
