PG&E cuts power to thousands or customers, opens relief centers due to wildfire risk

The PG&E customers now bracing for planned power shutoffs over the next few days. This comes as dry, windy weather really taking hold in parts of the Bay Area, increasing fire danger. KTVU's Jana Katsuyama, live in Moraga, where power could be turned off any time now. Jana? Yes, there's definitely this window that we've just entered, Claudine and Mike. And I want to show you this, because we are at the Marin Valley Presbyterian Church parking lot. And this is where PG&E has set up a community resource center. And this is a place where people can come if they do lose power. You can see they have tables, they have chairs, and then they have these power strips in the middle of the table where people can charge laptops, they can charge cell phones, or they can also charge medical devices, which is really key. They have these grab-and-go bags that they're giving out that have a fleece blanket, it has water, there are snacks. And there's also a free power bank so people can take it, charge here, and then take it back home. But these are all different ways that PG&E is trying to help and support people if they do lose power tonight. In pockets of the Bay Area Wednesday, people were preparing for the possible power shutoffs. It's obviously very disruptive. I work from home full time, so I think I'm going to have to find another location to work from. Thousands of residents started getting word a few days ago from PG&E that weather conditions this week might prompt what the utility calls its PSPS, Public Safety Power Shutoff, deactivating lines where winds or dry conditions could spark a wildfire. The scope here in the Bay Area includes about 11,000 customers in five counties. So Napa County, Sonoma County, a very small pocket in Solano County, Contra Costa County, and Alameda County. PG&E says they'll notify customers between one and four hours before the power is shut off. Parts of Moraga and the East Bay show on the map as some of the first areas that could lose power. Residents wondering why with the mild temperatures and low winds. I have a friend that lives, you know, a couple of minutes away. They're not affected. It seems to be a very long period of time. It really has to do with your equipment and where it connects to. So your equipment may be connected to an area that is impacted. PG&E has set up community resource centers in counties with shutoffs, providing people with power to charge phones and laptops and get other support. We've got the power stations. We've got blankets. We've got water. We've got snacks. They can come out and enjoy a nice, safe environment. We've got security. PG&E says that if they are reaching out to anybody who has registered them with medical issues, if they don't hear from them, they will go and do a doorknock to make sure that they are aware of any power outages. Now, back here live, along with these grab-and-go bags that they have, They also have Wi-Fi available at all of these stations, and they say that they do have one in each county, sometimes multiple places in the county, for every place that might lose power. So that is something which they're hoping people will take advantage of if they do end up being part of this power shutoff. All right. It should be an interesting few days ahead. Jana Katsuyama live tonight in Moraga for us. Jana, thank you.