Frustrations running high in San Francisco's Sunset District over multiple power outages
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Frustrations were high Sunday after Saturday's power outage dealt another blow to businesses in San Francisco's Sunset District.
"It's been a little crazy. Kind of touch-and-go," said Juliet Rhodes, a waitress at Palm City Restaurant, noting they were hoping the lights would stay on after Saturday's power outage affecting them and more than 6,000 other PG&E customers for several hours.
The business was also impacted by last weekend's citywide outage.
"I think tips were a little lower that day. I think sales were a little lower that day. It's kind of unfortunate timing to have two major power outages right around the holidays," said Rhodes.
RELATED: Power restored to more than 6K PG&E customers after storm-related incident in SF
"It's really disappointing to see that PG&E can't keep its act together and be able to serve our communities in San Francisco," said newly appointed Supervisor Alan Wong. "This is the fifth outage we've had in the Sunset District this month. It's really ridiculous. We had some earlier that hurt small businesses on Taraval on Dec. 7 and 10, and then the big one that we all knew about."
"When we were trying to get out the door that night, trying to get dressed up for a Christmas party. Packing both kids up to take over to our friends' house with the nanny in the pitch black, with two kids under two and with a dog -- it was really frustrating," said Hailey Granoff, who lives in the Sunset. "The fact that it happened again yesterday was really frustrating, and I was pessimistic about when it would come back on."
"Of course, things happen, and we can all understand that and be patient, but PG&E can hopefully do better. It's a little frustrating that there's so much wealth in this city, and we are dealing with a third-world power grid, said Dean Granoff.
PG&E is offering a $2,000 credit for residents and $2500 for businesses affected by the Dec. 20 outage. But what many also want are answers.
MORE: PG&E's $200 credit 'doesn't cut it' as some SF residents continue to recover after power outage
Just one month into the job, Wong said he is already dealing with repeated power outages impacting residents in the Sunset District, several outages in just December alone.
"I really want to ensure that we have a resilient power grid that is able to effectively manage any sort of incidents, storms or anything that comes up," Supervisor Wong said.
VIDEO: New SF supervisor calls for PG&E accountability for SF power outages
Residents say the outages have lasted far longer than expected, creating serious challenges for families and businesses alike.
"What hurts the residents was that after they gave the time for when it would end, it didn't end," Wong said. "And it kept going and going and going."
During the outages, residents reported medical emergencies, while small businesses say they suffered major financial losses.
MORE: Impacted by the SF power outage? Here's how to file a claim with PG&E
"So people were not able to engage in commerce for nearly an entire day and lost their stock," Wong said.
PG&E says it is offering a $200 bill credit for impacted residents and up to $2,500 for businesses, but Wong says that compensation does not go far enough.
PG&E also says customers can file claims for additional reimbursement, but Wong worries many residents will struggle to navigate the process.
"It's extremely difficult for some who may not be proficient because of language or technological barriers," Wong said. "PG&E should be coming out with workers walking the streets with bilingual skills so they can talk to everybody with the forms in hand, helping people sign up for the claims process."
MORE: Mayor Lurie calls for PG&E rate cuts after holiday outages as SF leaders demand answers
PG&E tells ABC7 News it is doing additional outreach to Chinese-speaking residents affected by the outages. Wong says his office will continue pushing the utility company for accountability and long-term infrastructure improvements.
"If what happened during these past outages happens again during something more major, like an earthquake or a fire, real lives could be lost," Wong said. "I think we were lucky this time."
