Mass Power Outages Hit San Bernardino, Schools Canceled

San Bernardino, California — A massive power outage struck San Bernardino on Tuesday morning, leaving more than 17,000 residents in the dark. The blackout, which affected multiple areas across the Inland Empire, was reported just after 5 a.m.

Southern California Edison (SCE) confirmed that the outage was caused by a locomotive striking grid equipment. Jeff Monford, a spokesman for SCE, stated, “We understand any outage is a hardship, especially during the hot weather, and we are working as quickly as we can to restore power safely.” SCE crews have begun inspecting lines and restoring power gradually.

As a result of the outages, the San Bernardino City Unified School District canceled the second day of school on 14 campuses. The district announced that classes would resume on Wednesday morning once power was restored by noon Tuesday.

The school district communicated the situation to parents just before 8:30 a.m., urging them to pick up their children promptly. In their message, the district said, “Parents, please arrange to pick up your children as soon as possible this morning.” The specific schools impacted by the power outages were not immediately listed.

The incident has created challenges for both residents and local schools. SCE is expected to provide an estimated restoration time after completing inspections.