Power could be out another 12-24 hours in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE Tahoe, Calif. - With lows dipping into the single digits overnight, a lack of heat and electricity had many concerned and bundled up in blankets. The reason for the outage was the winter storm at the beginning of the week with heavy, wet snow and rain before temperatures dropped and it was just snow. With 2-4 feet of new snow around the South Shore, not only was electricity a concern but also shoveling and plowing out from homes.

The snow caused trees to fall onto power lines, blown transformers, and vehicles crashing into power poles around South Lake Tahoe and Meyers, the West Shore and North Shore.

Crews from Liberty Utilities, the electric company serving the California Side of Lake Tahoe, continue to work around the clock to restore power, including rebuilding electric infrastructure in areas that can be safely accessed. Most customers should be restored in the next 12-24 hours. However, because of severe storm damage, avalanche conditions, and inaccessibility, some customers may be out of power for an extended period.

As of 10:00 a.m. today, December 15, 2021, about 12,000 Liberty customers are out of power. Of those, over 8,800 are in the El Dorado County area of Lake Tahoe. Almost 3,100 customers are without power in Placer County.

Check Liberty's website for the latest information HERE.

If you are a Liberty customer, please make sure your contact information is up-to-date so you are able to receive direct communications. Update your information by completing the form on THIS website or calling 1-800-782-2506.

If you rely on a medical device that requires power and do not have power, please call 911 if you need assistance. If you rely on electricity for medical equipment, please enroll in our Medical Baseline program HERE.

"Thank you for your continued patience," the company said in a statement.