TL;DR: San Luis Obispo County households should prepare to ride out a Public Safety Power Shutoff starting Thursday at 2:30 a.m. that could last through Saturday evening, plus localized water-system shutdowns and boil-water orders, by storing water, food, medicine and power reserves before shutoff time.
SLO County Faces Thursday PSPS and Cambria Water Cut: What Preppers Should Do Now
How large is the October 14 power-shutoff warning?
According to a PG&E release Wednesday described in reporting titled "Cal Poly, Cuesta prepare for SLO County CA outage | San Luis Obispo Tribune," 8,771 customers in San Luis Obispo County could lose power in the possible outages.
That county total was the second most in California, according to that PG&E release Wednesday.
The county figure includes roughly 353 people enrolled in the company's medical baseline program which assists customers who rely on power for certain medical needs.
According to a post on X by the SLO County Office of Emergency Services on Monday, the Public Safety Power Shutoff Alert for portions of San Luis Obispo County could start Thursday at 2:30 a.m.
The outage was initially expected to impact only about 7,700 customers, and then more than 10,000, but has now been adjusted to just over 8,770.
In total, PG&E says roughly 88,000 customers throughout California may lose power starting Wednesday as part of the shutoff.
Other counties that could be impacted by shutoffs include Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.
PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said as of 2:40 p.m. Wednesday the utility company was still monitoring the forecasted weather conditions to determine if it would shut off power in San Luis Obispo County.
The power shutoff isn't guaranteed to happen.
Where could power go out, and for how long?
On Tuesday, the power company also updated its map showing exactly which areas might lose power if deemed necessary.
SLO County potential outages spanned from San Simeon, down the coast to Morro Bay, and in rural areas stretching down to Nipomo.
If power is cut off, it could potentially be out through Saturday evening.
The projected Public Safety Power Shutoff Thursday through Saturday was described in repeated PG&E warning texts, voicemails and emails, according to reporting titled "How SLO County CA can prepare for power and water outages | San Luis Obispo Tribune."
Their message to so many SLO County homes and businesses was that, depending on weather conditions, the outage might last that long, with the operative word being might.
The bigger concern described in that account was more than 10,400 SLO County PG&E customers could face being without electricity for up to three days or so because of the elevated risk of wildfires from a predicted combination of high inland temperatures and strong offshore winds.
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, the city of San Luis Obispo said it was notified it was no longer in the potential shutoff area.
"PG&E has updated its future power outage map and its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch no longer includes the city of San Luis Obispo, due to changing weather patterns and forecasts," the city said, noting it would still monitor the situation and be ready to respond if that changed once again.
The outage is still planned for other primarily unincorporated areas of the county, the release said.
To see the interactive map of where might be impacted, visit pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outage-tools/outage-map and select "Future PSPS Outages."
You can also check if your address is being monitored for a potential shutoff at pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates.
How did 550 Cambria households handle water plus power threats?
How 550 Cambria households weathered a double-whammy week gave all of us a preview of being prepared for some sudden utility challenges.
The second issue for one resident and 549 other Cambria Community Services District accounts was a water shutoff earlier in the week.
The many notices received warned that water service would be cut off at about 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The Cambria CSD had to do "critical water system work that required a temporary interruption of water service to customers" in the affected area.
The project was estimated to end by 5 p.m. that same day.
There was a cautiously phrased caveat in those warnings, however: "The actual restoration time may vary depending on field conditions and the progress of construction."
At about 4 p.m. Tuesday, residents were notified that the boil water order was in effect.
The water running through the lines after the project was finished had to be tested before it was considered "potable," which means drinkable in plain English.
That was to protect residents in case the project work produced any contamination in the water-supply system.
That sequence meant households had to be ready to boil some water and toss any ice in the icemaker, if necessary.
They also had to be ready to drain the water-filtration system and water lines.
They had to be ready to run water through lines for a while and change the filters there and in the refrigerator, and maybe even have the water-softener tank changed.
What power-outage steps should SLO County take before Thursday?
Among the repeated electricity-outage readiness steps are charge your devices.
Stockpile water, food, medicines, cash and more.
Pack your refrigerator and freezer with frozen water bottles or containers, and stay out of those appliances as much as possible.
Unplug major appliances and electronics.
Make sure your vehicle's gas tank is full, and that you know the by-hand measures for getting it out of the garage.
Make sure your electric or hybrid vehicle is fully charged.
Also, if you have one, make sure your generator is filled and ready to operate outside only.
At one house, some of those notification calls arrived as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 10:15 p.m.
University teams are taking steps to minimize disruptions, including deploying temporary generators to support critical operations and coordinating directly with affected colleges, departments and residents to assist with preparations, according to an email to the Cal Poly student body.
What water-outage steps did Cambria notices list?
The notifications also included various instructions for things to do before the shut-off, so residents would be prepared when the clock struck 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Turn off your icemaker.
Stockpile drinkable water for cooking, drinking, making ice the old-fashioned way, brushing teeth, washing fruits, vegetables, faces and hands.
Also stockpile for washing dishes with those hands.
Fill tubs or buckets with water for flushing.
One household bought gallons of bottled water and filled every Stanley mug, tub, bucket and pitcher in the house, along with most sinks.
That household also learned that some dishpans can leak.
Additional uses named for that stored water included bathing a baby or yourself, making baby formula, reconstituting frozen juice or diluting concentrated soup.
Other uses included cleaning a wound or washing medical equipment.
How are Cal Poly and Cuesta College responding?
According to an email to the student body, Cal Poly is preparing to lose power in the potential planned power outage as early as 2 a.m. tomorrow.
There were no plans for a campus-wide power shutdown, and the vast majority of campus facilities, classes and operations were expected to continue normally, according to the message.
However, the outage is expected to primarily affect agricultural operations and facilities, including livestock areas, some instructional and research spaces and a limited number of student and staff residences, according to the email.
Cal Poly Technology Park and other operational and support facilities may also be affected by the outage, according to the email.
In advance of the potential outage, Cuesta College announced it would transition to remote operations at its San Luis Obispo County from Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon, according to the school's Instagram.
Students were advised to check their Cuesta College email and course communications for updates from their instructors, according to the announcement.
The North County campus will continue in-person operations as scheduled, according to the post.
"In-person operations at the SLO Campus are expected to resume Saturday evening, provided power has been restored," the announcement read.
"Remote operations will remain in effect through Saturday afternoon, even if power returns earlier."
What should winter-storm preppers do after this PSPS week?
During a sweltering heat wave, more than 250 people packed into the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center on Wednesday to learn more about the impending El Niño.
The event referenced here took place Oct. 7, 2026, according to reporting titled "What El Niño storms could mean for SLO County CA | San Luis Obispo Tribune."
San Luis Obispo County can expect typical weather in November and December, but in January, February and March, the county could be slammed with record-breaking storms, meteorologist John Lindsey said.
El Niños produce above-average rainfall about 75% of the time, Lindsey said.
"El Niño is a promise. It's not a guarantee," he said.
Local officials gave presentations from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on how to prepare for stronger-than-usual winter storms.
The event was organized by the San Luis Obispo County Community Emergency Response Team.
To classify the severity of an El Niño, meteorologists check the sea surface temperature in Region 3.4 of the Pacific Ocean, located off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, Lindsey said.
The strongest El Niño to date was in 1982-83, when sea surface temperatures were 2.4 degrees Celsius above normal in Region 3.4.
Forecasting models indicate the sea surface temperatures will be 2.7 degrees above normal.
"This has potential — strong potential — of being the strongest El Niño we've ever seen before," he said.
The 1982-83 El Niño dropped 47.4 inches of rain on Cal Poly, more than double the usual 22 inches of rain, Lindsey said.
What 72-hour kit and home checklist applies in SLO County?
The first step in preparing for the El Niño is to determine if you live in a flood plain, San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services director Scotty Jalbert said.
Enter your address into the California Office of Emergency Services website at bit.ly/3VCjz76 to determine if your property is in a flood zone.
Then, sign up for emergency alerts via text, email or voice call at AlertSLO online at bit.ly/4zmlsDt or sign up to receive Reverse 911 calls during an emergency at www.slosheriff.org/reverse-911/.
Here is how to prepare your home: clear gutters, downspouts and storm drains regularly.
Inspect the roof for leaks and make necessary repairs.
Check yard grading to ensure it moves rain water away from the home.
Inspect large, bare areas that could become a source of mudflow during heavy rain, and consider planting ground cover vegetation before storm season.
Purchase sandbags, which are available at these locations: bit.ly/4yBfgY9.
A list of SLO County spots that offer sand is at bit.ly/4AXic33.
Next, create a household disaster plan.
Identify what role each household member will play during a flood or evacuation event, and identify multiple routes to leave the area.
Prepare an emergency supply kit that could serve the household for at least 72 hours.
The kit should include one gallon of water per person per day, a three-day supply of food per person and pet, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit, a whistle, a manual can opener for food, prescription medications, local maps, cell phone chargers and a backup battery, cash and more.
A checklist of the recommended items is at bit.ly/47JVoq1.