Widespread power outage hits San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame

Many neighborhoods had their power restored by the afternoon, although some neighborhoods, like San Mateo’s Hayward Park and those directly east of Interstate 280, were some of the last to regain power, according to the PG&E outage map.

Officer Jerami Surratt, spokesperson for the San Mateo Police Department, said there had not been any calls for service or collisions related to the outage.

With traffic lights not functioning, San Mateo resident Dusty Cayssials said it took her 30 minutes to get past the Highway 101 off-ramp that intersects with Hillsdale Boulevard, which normally only takes five minutes at most, even during rush hour.

“I got off 101 at Hillsdale heading north … and I had to sit through four or five light cycles before I even got to the light. There was a lot of confusion, and it was just really backed up from all directions,” Cayssials said.

The outage is familiar for many Foster City residents, many of whom have experienced outages more frequently compared to other parts of the county — especially over the last several years. As someone who works from home, resident Jill Goldsberry said the frequent nature of the outages causes disruption during her workday.

“I can't tell you how many times it's completely sunny out and the power goes out,” she said.

Since living in Foster City for a little over four years, she said her power has gone out at least nine to 10 times, most of which has not happened during adverse weather, like rain or wind, she said.

“I lived in San Mateo from about 2007 to 2019, and during that time, I only lost power maybe two or three times,” she said. “I lived in Chicago for 18 years, and we had thunderstorms and blizzards, and we rarely lost power.”

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102