Summer Heat and Power Outages

Cooling Zones

A Cool Zone is a location to get out of the heat for a period of time to let your body cool down.  Cool Zone facilities include libraries, community centers, malls, and senior centers. Cool Zones do not offer snacks or water, only air-conditioned facilities.

Cool Zone Locations in Glenn County and hours of operation:

• Bayliss Library 7830 County Road 39
  • Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Elk Creek Library 3432 County Road 309
  • Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Hamilton City Library 330 Broadway
  • Monday & Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.          
• Orland Library 333 Mill Street
  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Willows Library 201 N. Lassen Street
  • Tuesday & Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday & Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Need a ride to a Cooling Zone? Check out the Glenn Ride Schedule here

* During extreme heat events (temperatures exceeding 110 degrees), access to a public building for cooling on Sunday may be available upon request. Contact Glenn County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 530-934-6431.

For more information and resources on Extreme Heat, check out Heat Ready CA HeatReadyCA.com

For additional resources in Butte and Glenn counties, call 2-1-1 or visit Butte Glenn 2-1-1 online at HelpCentral.org 

Power Outages

Sign up for power outage notifications from PG&E

View PG&E's interactive Power Outage Map

Flex Alert

Sign up for Flex Alerts

A Flex Alert is typically issued in the summer when extremely hot weather drives up electricity use, making the available power supply scarce. Flex Alerts are typically issued from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. when solar generation is rolling off the system, but temperatures remain high and consumers are using air conditioners, lights, and appliances or other conditions threaten the electric grid. When Californians reduce electricity use during a Flex Alert, it can prevent more dire emergency measures, including rotating power outages.

Flex Alerts are issued by the California ISO, not by the County of Glenn. For more information on Flex Alerts, visit the Cal-ISO Flex Alert webpage

To access today's power grid usage forecast, visit the Cal-ISO webpage 

Rotating Outages - Rolling Blackouts

A rotating outage is an electric power outage that rotates from area to area, so no single neighborhood is down for very long. It’s designed to reduce demand and maintain power grid reliability. Brief outages protect against longer and larger outages.

Visit PG&E website to find your outage block and any possible rotating outage period

Public Safety Power Shutoff

A Public Safety Power Shutoff, also called a PSPS, occurs in response to severe weather. PG&E turns off the power to help prevent wildfire and keep communities safe. Although you may not live or work in a high fire-threat area or an area experiencing high winds, your power may be shut off if your home or business relies on a line that runs through high risk fire area with severe weather.

To learn more on how to prepare for PSPS power outages and to sign up for alerts, go to PG&E's Wildfire and PSPS webpage

Prepare for PSPS power outage Tips

Access the PG&E 7 day weather and PSPS forecast at pge.com/weather

Find a PG&E Community Resource Center (CRC) during a PSPS Event

PG&E PSPS Outage Map

Heat Exhaustion vs Heat Stroke

During extremely hot weather, your body's ability to cool itself is challenged. When the body heats too rapidly to cool itself properly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, body temperature rises and you or someone you care about may experience a heat-related illness. It is important to know the symptoms of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a list of warning signs and symptoms of heat illness and recommended first aid steps. Some of these symptoms and steps are listed below.

Heat Cramps
Heat cramps may be the first sign of heat-related illness and may lead to heat exhaustion or stroke.

• Symptoms: Painful muscle cramps and spasms usually in legs and abdomen and Heavy sweating.
• First Aid: Apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gently massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water unless the person complains of nausea, then stop giving water. 
  
  Seek immediate medical attention if cramps last longer than 1 hour.

Heat Exhaustion

• Symptoms: Heavy sweating, Weakness or tiredness, cool, pale, clammy skin; fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache, fainting,
• First Aid: Move person to a cooler environment, preferably a well air-conditioned room. Loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths or have the person sit in a cool bath. Offer sips of water. If person vomits more than once,
  
  Seek immediate medical attention if the person vomits, symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour

Heat Stroke

• Symptoms: Throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, body temperature above 103°F, hot, red, dry or damp skin, rapid and strong pulse, fainting, loss of consciousness.
• First Aid: Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Delay can be fatal. Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment. Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath. Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make you hotter at higher temperatures. Do NOT give fluids.

Using a fan to blow air in someone’s direction may actually make them hotter if heat index temperatures are above the 90s. For more information on all of these heat related illnesses, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site.

Information provided by National Weather Service 

This page last updated July 13, 2023