Lafayette Residents Brace For Possible PG&E Power Shutdown
LAFAYETTE (KPIX 5) -- People all around the Bay Area on Tuesday were waiting for official word from PG&E about whether they will be in the dark Wednesday morning.
One of the potentially affected area in Contra Costa County is across District 2. That includes Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette, where people are getting ready
A lot of people who came into a Lafayette Ace Hardware Tuesday morning were looking for flashlights. They were out of luck, as the store had already sold out.
Others were making sure they had the right kind of batteries for what they needed.
"Lanterns are gone, flashlights are just about gone. Batteries we've been filling every 15-20 minutes it seems. So it seems like we're just giving them away. It's crazy," said Ace Hardware Assistant Manager Howie Gibbs.
He said he hasn't seen his store this busy since N-95 masks were hard to come by a couple years ago.
"There are gonna be a lot of people this afternoon disappointed, unfortunately," Gibbs said.
However, Ace Hardware had a new shipment of flashlights due for delivery later Tuesday, which means they will be available for purchase Wednesday if the store is open.
Over at Safeway, Lafayette resident Michael Haverty was stocking up on the essentials. He said he was keeping the home menu simple, just in case.
"I don't know what to expect, really. So I've got things that I can eat cold, things that I can drink cold, fruit. And I've got a lot of water at home," explained Haverty. "Where we live is very, very wooded. Pretty much a closed canopy."
Agencies across Contra Costa County spent much of the morning in meetings. They couldn't share emergency response specifics with KPIX 5.
County District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen said she's most concerned for those who are vulnerable.
"While shutting off the power is very inconvenient, it's better than a fire tragedy," said Andersen.
