March 16 storm update from the City of Menlo Park including remaining outages

PG&E reports that they are down to less than 1,500 Menlo Park customers without power as of this afternoon and that they are prioritizing schools and critical infrastructure as they work to restore power.

PG&E states that some electrical circuits have suffered tremendous damage and require extensive repairs that have taken longer than expected. Throughout San Mateo County, they say they are down to less than 10,000 customers without power (down from a peak of 67,000 customers) and that they have 81 crews dispatched throughout the county today.

A power outage in the west part of the city is affecting a stormwater pump station and as we prepare for the possibility of additional rain this weekend and into next week, we are monitoring the system and plan to deploy a generator for backup power if needed.

PG&E Safety Net program

Residential customers may qualify for PG&E’s Safety Net program which offers payments to residential customers who are without power for more than 48 hours due to a severe events, like storms (as determined by PG&E). The Safety Net program, pays $25 to $100 automatically 60 to 120 days after the outage. The amount may depend on the outage length.

Menlo Park one-night hotel stay reimbursement policy for PG&E power outages
The City of Menlo Park has updated its policy for one-night hotel stay reimbursements related to extended PG&E power outages for this outage event. Please review the policy changes. Qualifying reimbursement requests can be submitted online via the hotel reimbursement request form by 5:00 pm, Friday, March 31, 2023.

For extended outages, learn about PG&E’s discounts on hotels (PDF).

Storm cleanup

City crews have received a dozen new calls in the last 24 hours (nearly 90 calls for this entire storm event) with most being related to trees. They continue to work on cleanup efforts throughout the city to ensure streets remain open. The Nealon Park parking lot is open and accessible despite several large eucalyptus trees coming down during the storm and damaging fencing and blocking entry to the lot and Little House at one point.

Street sweeping

Ahead of rains this weekend and next week, street sweeping will be important as we want to clear additional debris to allow water to flow freely. All residents are encouraged to move vehicles off the street and away from the curb ahead on your street sweeping day this week to allow street sweepers to remove as much debris (leaves, small branches, etc.) as possible over the next week.

Check your street sweeping day

Street closures and signal outages

The City is tracking a few remaining street closures and signal outages (view the Zonehaven map). Please continue to exercise caution when approaching any intersection with flashing signals or signals that are out, and treat these as an all-way stop.

Menlo Park libraries open for those who need to recharge 

Dozens of residents have taken advantage of Menlo Park’s libraries during the latest storm and outage events.

For those without power or needing a place to recharge, Menlo Park libraries will remain open until 8 p.m., Thursday, March 16, and reopen again at 10 a.m., Friday, March 17. These facilities are climate-controlled and offer seating, reading materials, laptop computers, places to charge mobile devices, and public access internet and Wi-Fi. Visit menlopark.gov/library or call 650-330-2520.

• Belle Haven Branch Library
  413 Ivy Drive
• Menlo Park Library
  800 Alma St.

Avoid unstable creek banks; soil can collapse unexpectedly

Saturated soils along the banks of San Francisquito Creek along Woodland Avenue continue to make creek banks unstable and hazardous. Additional areas along the entire length of the creek banks may pose hazards, so please observe the creek from a safe distance and monitor creek levels online at menlopark.gov/creeklevels.

Keep informed of changing conditions

• Monitor changes in the weather forecast. Follow the National Weather Service updates.
• Get notifications from the City via SMC Alert and email/text, Twitter, Facebook and Nextdoor. View all of our social media channels.
• For other ways to be storm-ready, visit our website at menlopark.gov/storms.
• Monitor San Francisquito Creek water levels online, visit the creek monitor site from the City of Palo Alto.
• Monitor the Atherton Channel, check the Atherton Channel sensor on the OneShoreline website.

Report issues promptly

• For blocked storm drains, sink holes, landslides, levee damage and fallen trees, call Public Works at 650-330-6780 weekdays from 7 a.m.–4 p.m. and at 650-330-6300 after-hours.
• For power outages and gas leaks, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 and check their outage center maponline. For anyone experiencing power outages, learn about PG&E’s hotel discounts (PDF) for extended outages.
• For sewer problems, call West Bay Sanitary District at 650-321-0384.

Please do not call 9-1-1 unless there is an imminent threat to life or other serious emergency. For general questions consider texting the city at 650-679-7022.

Get the latest updates at menlopark.gov/stormupdate

InMenlo contributing photographer Robb Most spotted this redwood grazing this house on the corner of Oakdell and Magnolia in Menlo Park.