San Francisco Power Restored After Massive Outages Causing Darkness

San Francisco breathed a collective sigh of relief Sunday morning as power flickered back on for the vast majority of the 130,000 homes and businesses plunged into darkness by a massive outage the previous day.

The blackout, which struck shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday, engulfed a large swath of the city's northern neighborhoods, eventually affecting roughly one-third of Pacific Gas and Electric's customers in the area.

At its height, the disruption left tens of thousands without electricity during one of the peak shopping days of the holiday season, forcing restaurants and stores to shutter early and casting long shadows over festive decorations.

While PG&E crews worked tirelessly through the night, more than 20,000 customers lingered without service as of early Sunday, but by midday, the grid had stabilized, and full restoration was underway.

The Onset and Spread of the Blackout

The trouble began innocently enough on a bustling Saturday, but quickly escalated into citywide chaos.

Reports indicate the primary outage ignited around 1 p.m., rapidly expanding to blanket northern San Francisco in blackout conditions.

Social media buzzed with images of darkened streets, where Christmas lights that had twinkled moments before now hung limp and lifeless.

urged the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management in a post that captured the urgency of the moment.

A large power outage is impacting San Francisco – only call 9-1-1 for life safety emergencies, avoid non-essential travel, treat down traffic signals as four-way stops,

Traffic ground to a halt as streetlights failed, prompting officials to remind drivers to navigate intersections as four-way stops.

Transit systems faced significant snarls, with public warnings to steer clear of nonessential trips.

Adding to the confusion, a fire erupted inside a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets around 3:15 p.m., which fire officials linked to some of the blackouts.

Videos circulating online showed driverless Waymo vehicles stranded motionless in intersections, their services suspended amid the turmoil.

Businesses bore the brunt, with eateries and shops forced to close prematurely on a day when holiday crowds typically flock to the city.

lamented one shop owner in the Richmond district, echoing sentiments from vendors citywide.

It was like the city just hit pause – no lights, no heat, no nothing during the busiest time,

Earlier in the day, separate outages had already nipped at the west side, starting around 9:40 a.m. in areas like Inner Sunset and Forest Hill, affecting over 14,000 customers, followed by another wave hitting the Presidio and Richmond by 10:10 a.m.

These initial hits impacted more than 24,000 more, setting the stage for the larger cascade.

Restoration Efforts and PG&E's Response

PG&E sprang into action, posting updates that by 4 p.m. Saturday, the grid was stabilized with no further outages anticipated.

Crews battled through the evening, restoring power to the bulk of affected customers by Sunday morning.

Outage maps showed pockets of darkness persisting into early hours, with over 20,000 still offline at 5 a.m., but progress accelerated from there.

a PG&E spokesperson assured the public via social media, emphasizing safety protocols amid the substation fire investigation.

Our teams are working around the clock to get everyone back online safely,

The full cause of the outage remains under scrutiny, with the substation blaze pinpointed as a key factor, though earlier disruptions in the west may stem from unrelated equipment failures.

Residents were advised to keep fridge doors shut, unplug appliances to avoid surges, and conserve energy as power returned.

By stabilizing the system swiftly, PG&E prevented a deeper crisis, though the timing amplified the inconvenience for holiday preparations.

Impact on Daily Life and Citywide Disruptions

The blackout's ripple effects touched every corner of San Francisco life.

Shoppers abandoned carts in darkened malls, while families huddled by phone flashlights, their holiday baking and gatherings derailed.

We lost a whole afternoon of sales, right when everyone’s out buying gifts – it’s tough on small businesses like ours,

Transit woes compounded the issue, with Muni lines stalled and ride-hailing curtailed, stranding commuters across the city. The northern sprawl's growth underscored vulnerabilities in the aging infrastructure, a recurring theme in a city prone to such events.

Emergency services stayed vigilant, fielding only life-threatening calls to preserve resources.

As lights returned, the city pulsed back to life, but the episode served as a stark reminder of reliance on a fragile power grid.

West side outages, though smaller, still darkened neighborhoods from early morning, with restoration estimates shifting from afternoon to evening slots.

In the end, San Francisco's massive power outage tested the resilience of its residents and utilities alike, disrupting a holiday Saturday but yielding to determined restoration by Sunday.

Most of the 130,000 affected customers now have power, investigations into causes like the substation fire continue, and the city urges preparedness for future blackouts.

Life resumes, brighter and buzzing once more.