Power outages reported in southern California, Arizona, Mexico
Power outages contributed to traffic jams in southern California on Thursday afternoon, including this one in Orange County.
September 8th, 2011
09:02 PM ET

Power outages reported in southern California, Arizona, Mexico

[Updated at 9:02 p.m. ET] Authorities were investigating a power blackout in parts of southern California, Arizona and Mexico on Thursday that left more than 1 million customers without power and caused widespread traffic jams.

San Diego Gas & Electric said all of its 1.4 million customers were without power. The problem appeared to have originated in Arizona, the utility said.

"This caused our line from AZ and from the north of our region to both trip off," the utility posted on its Twitter account.

Power outages in California stretched from San Clemente to the state's border with Mexico on Thursday, a San Diego County spokesman told CNN.

In Arizona, about 56,000 customers in Yuma, lost power, Arizona Power and Supply said. Parts of Mexico's Baja California and Sonora states were also without power, Mexican authorities said.

The cause of the blackout was unclear. The San Diego utility said greater power usage during hot weather could be responsible.

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Filed under: Arizona • California • Mexico
soundoff (170 Responses)
  1. TEABAGGING TEABAGGERS OF THE TEE'D OFF TEA BAGGING PRONE T PARTY PAY TREE UTS ARE FOULING THE AIR AROUND MY SEPTIC TANK

    REPUBLICANS ARE THE SATANDEVILOFTHEWORKINGMAN AND WILL GO TO HELL REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL EXISTENCE OF SUCH A "PLACE".

    September 8, 2011 at 9:33 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Lugene Gibeault

    CNN Please take a break and tell us what is going on in CA our children are there!

    September 8, 2011 at 9:33 pm | Report abuse |
  3. wequote

    http://www.space.com/12882-sun-solar-flares-faithful-sunspot.html

    We apparently had an M6 flare today... Solar flare activity has been ramping up towards a peak in 2013

    September 8, 2011 at 9:34 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Relaxin:)

    The end is coming...here we go...Ready or nt!

    September 8, 2011 at 9:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • rodello bordello

      Why aren't you out there holding your cardboard sign along with the rest of the kooks? Oh right, you'd rather troll people who are already being trolled by mother nature. Good job!

      September 8, 2011 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Name*Richard Gerber

    The Rapture!

    September 8, 2011 at 9:44 pm | Report abuse |
  6. steve ward

    Comet Elenin is Near, this is the begining of the prediction !!

    September 8, 2011 at 9:46 pm | Report abuse |
    • Caitlin

      Yes, Elenin is near. It is also believed it was Elenin captured by SOHO near the sun. Interesting..

      September 8, 2011 at 11:34 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Tom

    For those without power, gb has 21 and ns 17. Power is on here in Wash and glad I'm not in Palm Springs right now.

    September 8, 2011 at 9:47 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Tom

    correction; Saints 17 and Green Bay 21 in 2nd

    September 8, 2011 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Jeff

    Tom......power back on in La Quinta. Typical balmy late summer night in Coachella Valley.

    September 8, 2011 at 10:12 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Jeff Frank ( R - Ohio )

    "Just a pile of poo shorting out a substation stepdown transformer."

    September 8, 2011 at 10:22 pm | Report abuse |
  11. CNN is NOT a news channel

    You do know that there are at least 2 million people w/out power in SoCA? Do you do anything but talk on your channel? Why don't you just call yourself a political talk channel? Or is it just because this is on the West Coast? If this was in the East it would be wall to wall coverage.....this is news & people need help & information. You blew it on this one.

    September 9, 2011 at 12:06 am | Report abuse |
  12. Rasela Feliciano

    In light of the terror threat breaking news, I'm getting very nervous here in the South Pacific with the current power outage in SoCal and Arizona. My husband, son step daughters and grandchildren are in San Diego. Hope we are checking to make sure that this is not a terror act in disguise while the they divert everyone's attention to New York and DC. Can we not overlook this please and conduct a thorough investigation on this asap?

    September 9, 2011 at 12:15 am | Report abuse |
  13. GLOBAL WARMING NOT JUST MOTHER EARTH

    CNN DO YOU BELIEVE NATURAL OR MANMADE?

    September 9, 2011 at 12:16 am | Report abuse |
  14. Name*citizen8900

    POWER LINES MAY HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY SEVERED BETWEEN AZ AND CA.

    September 9, 2011 at 12:24 am | Report abuse |
  15. justathought

    DARN! -(;*)<;*}((!=)@=^'"BRIDGET! BRIDGET! Bridget YOU FORGOT TO PAY THE BILL! Bridget! When are you ever going to learn!?

    September 9, 2011 at 1:24 am | Report abuse |
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