Thousands of customers remain without power as L.A. heat wave wanes

At least 3,600 customers remained without power Wednesday afternoon as extreme heat pushed the grid to its breaking point.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported that 600 customers remained without power as of 2 p.m., an improvement from the 3,500 outages reported the day before. As a sweltering heat wave reached its projected end, about 50 transformers had failed due to record-breaking demand for electricity.

Electrical usage in the area peaked on Tuesday -- the height of the heat wave -- at nearly 6,400 megawatts, breaking Monday’s energy demand of 6,200 megawatts, according to the LADWP.

Temperatures were expected to drop significantly Thursday, ending days of triple-digit heat across much of the region.

Southern California Edison was also working to restore power Tuesday to roughly 3,000 customers, a number that continued to fluctuate due to thunderstorm activity along the mountains and Inland Empire, utility spokesman Paul Griffo said.

The utility had replaced 13,872 feet of underground cables, 2,258 feet of overhead wires and 344 transformers since Saturday.

“Our crews are working night and day to restore power to people as quickly as possible,” Griffo said.

Power outages continued Wednesday in parts of Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Tulare and Ventura counties, Griffo added.

Forecasters warned that moist air and high heat could create more thunderstorms and lightning Wednesday.

Thunderstorms on Tuesday evening produced lightning in Crestline, flash flooding in Wildomar and downed trees and power lines.

The sudden storm activity was the product of remnant from Hurricane Odile, which pushed monsoonal moisture and easterly winds into the region, creating a volatile mix, according to the National Weather Service.

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