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2019-11-01 Home Front: Culture Wars

Seniors at California complex ‘abandoned' during blackout

NOVATO, Calif. (AP) ‐ One woman in her 80s tripped over another resident who had fallen on the landing in a steep stairwell. Others got disoriented, even in their own apartments, and cried out for help.

At least 20 seniors with wheelchairs and walkers were essentially trapped, in the dark, in a low-income apartment complex in Northern California during a two-day power shut-off aimed at warding off wildfires.

Residents of the Villas at Hamilton in Novato, north of San Francisco, say they were without guidance from their property management company or the utility behind the blackout as they faced pitch-black stairwells and hallways and elevators that shut down.

"We were surprised by how dark it was," said Pamela Zuzak, 70, who uses a walker to get around. "There was nothing, nothing lit. It was like going into a darkroom closet, pitch black, you couldn’t see in front of you."

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. shut off power to more than 2 million people over the weekend to prevent its equipment from sparking fires amid hot, dry gusts. It was just one of four pre-emptive rounds of shut-offs imposed by the utility this month.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-11-01 07:54|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 Incredible

Posted by Uleck Spererong9442 2019-11-01 08:17|| 2019-11-01 08:17|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm sure when the 'vote farmers' show up they'll have a flashlight and some forms for you to sign. Ack, Cali doesn't even have a decent organization of ward heelers to take care of this? Doesn't anybody know how to play this game?

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-11-01 08:20|| 2019-11-01 08:20|| Front Page Top

The vital monitoring of the endangered Delta Smelt must continue.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-11-01 08:32|| 2019-11-01 08:32|| Front Page Top

#4 If you live in CA and haven't yet bought a generator of decent size, now would be the time.
Mrs. Warthog and I gave CA the one finger salute in the rear view mirror when we made our escape to Idaho.

Posted by Warthog 2019-11-01 09:55|| 2019-11-01 09:55|| Front Page Top

#5 Criminal incompetence.

Not funny any more. These Shitshow ringmasters need to be thrown in prison.

Posted by Lex 2019-11-01 10:38|| 2019-11-01 10:38|| Front Page Top

#6 "Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up,"

Posted by Clyde Dribble8052 2019-11-01 12:49|| 2019-11-01 12:49|| Front Page Top

#7 Seems caregivers in California are always they first too pack up and ditch the elderly,they choose to look after. Wonder if there is and ordnance to prevent this from happening?

Posted by bbrewer126 2019-11-01 16:03|| 2019-11-01 16:03|| Front Page Top

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