Pasadena Proud

Last week's wind storm was the kind of thing you can't prepare for--at least not in a specific way. The people who run a city's infrastructure can't sit down and say, "What are we going to do in the case of gale force winds that knock down hundreds of giant trees, downing power lines, blocking roads and damaging property?"

But they can plan for generalities--mass injuries, loss of power, or loss of communication, for example.

We've just seen how Pasadena responds to a major loss of power that could have been a disaster. Downed power lines were ready to ignite vulnerable homes and emergency vehicles couldn't get through roads blocked by toppled trees. Our city responded and kept responding and continues to respond.

Stories we hear from neighboring towns aren't as positive.

John and I called various Pasadena city services last Friday about tree removal, live wires and broken street lights. With the exception of one guy, who obviously didn't grok the magnitude of the situation ("Well, it's Friday, so you know, probly not 'til Monday...") we talked to knowledgeable, responsive people who either answered our questions or sought out the person who could.

Those persons haven't had much sleep since last Wednesday night. Now it's time for us to do our part.

First, we can bring our broken branches and tree debris to the curb per the instructions in this article from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Then we can be patient. Pasadena's got a Tournament of Roses to put on in just over three weeks. It's a big deal for our city. It's our annual triumph, our "hello" to the world, and this year it's as important as ever, if not more. Pasadena has done a fantastic job of cleaning up after a historic storm. I've still got a few items on my list of things for the city to do, but I can wait.


Update from Pasadena's Public Information Officer, Ann Erdman:
(this one came in at 6:30 pm)

CITY OF PASADENA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
NEWS FOR RELEASE:  December 7, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Ann Erdman, (626) 744-4755

PASADENA WINDSTORM UPDATE, DEC. 7 6:25 P.M.

Here is the latest update on recovery from the hurricane-force winds that devastated many parts of this community last Wednesday and Thursday.

Power

Pasadena Water and Power crews made significant progress over the past 24 hours, replacing damaged power poles and transformers and coordinating with Public Works Department crews and some private tree services to remove downed trees from power lines and restring the lines.

An ongoing canvass of neighborhoods has identified many properties that need replacement of wires from nearby power poles.

As of this afternoon, approximately 75 customers are without electricity. Crews will work again through the night, handling calls already logged in and any additional calls as soon as possible.

“It’s important to keep this in perspective. We’re dealing with the equivalent of a hurricane-force event that impacted most of Pasadena’s 23 square miles with 325 miles of streets,” said City Manager Michael J. Beck. “The dramatic increase in restoration of power services over the past 48 hours is a further example of the unwavering commitment by city crews that have been working in 32-hour shifts with six-hour rest periods since this disaster began.”

The crews, assisted by workers on loan from Anaheim Public Utilities and Burbank Water and Power, continue to work around the clock, and in some cases are installing temporary fixes to get electricity restored to more homes more quickly. They will return to those properties to make permanent repairs once all service is restored.

Some customers who have power may experience intermittent outages while repairs are made to nearby properties. Please report outages to (626) 744-4673.

Green Debris Removal

A systematic east-to-west green debris removal process is now underway in Pasadena and is following existing solid waste collection routes the day after normal refuse collection dates.  Residents are asked to place their green debris out as soon as possible.  The deadline for getting rid of green recyclable waste by taking it to the curb will be on residents’ normal trash pickup day the week of Dec. 12.

To recycle all the green material and avoid contamination of the resulting mulch, please place only unbagged green material out for pickup. Other non-green debris resulting from the windstorm will be collected separately by scheduling a bulky-item pickup.

Private contractors providing green material removal service for residents may dispose of material at the Eaton Wash spreading disposal site at the northeast corner of Washington Boulevard and Sierra Madre Boulevard from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Only green material originating from Pasadena will be accepted at this site.  Contractors will be required to provide company name, address and client information. Contractors may also take green waste to the Scholl Canyon landfill at 7721 N. Figueroa St. in Los Angeles, where it will be used as alternative daily cover.

Absolutely no dumping is allowed at Rose Bowl Stadium and other parking lots.

Green storm debris drop-off locations are available to residents at Eaton Blanche Park, 3100 E. Del Mar Blvd., Robinson Park, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.  Only Pasadena residents may use these drop-off locations.  The sites will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Dec. 7 through 16.  Green debris cannot be dumped on the ground and must be placed inside the large bins on site.

Proof of residency (i.e., utility bill or identification card) will be required to drop off material. No private contractors will be allowed to dispose of green materials at the park locations.

Damage Reporting

The City of Pasadena’s storm-related costs are expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars.  State and federal emergency management agencies could help mitigate storm-related costs to local governments, homeowners, and businesses, but only if they have accurate damage totals.

City and county officials are asking that homeowners and business owners report all their storm-related costs to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) so local governments can more accurately demonstrate the need for state and federal disaster aid.

OEM is tallying estimates countywide and will forward the information to the state.

To report storm-related damage by phone dial 2-1-1.  Damage can also be reported online at www.211la.org.

For more information about the city’s emergency declaration and storm-related cost estimates, contact Pasadena Emergency Management Coordinator Lisa Derderian at (626) 744-7276.

# # #

Ann Erdman
Public Information Officer
City of Pasadena
Public Affairs Office
100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S228
Pasadena CA  91109
(626) 744-4755
Cell: (626) 375-2742
www.cityofpasadena.net/publicaffairs
Facebook:  Pasadena PIO
Twitter:  pasadenapio
 
(this one came in at 2:29 pm when I was out, sorry I didn't post it sooner)

PASADENANS URGED TO REPORT PRIVATE STORM DAMAGE IN EFFORT TO GAIN STATE AND FEDERAL EMERGENCY FINANCIAL HELP

While city and private crews work to reconnect the remaining customers still without electricity and clear thousands of tons of debris from streets and parks, local governments, including the city of Pasadena, are tallying the public costs of last week’s hurricane-force windstorm.  Pasadena’s costs will certainly run into the tens of millions of dollars.

State and federal emergency agencies could help mitigate those costs but only if they have accurate damage totals.  City and county officials are asking that homeowners and business owners report their storm-related costs as well so local governments can more accurately demonstrate the need for state and federal disaster aid.

“We need any damage and costs that residents and businesses incurred to be reported to the county, which will forward them to the state,” said Pasadena City Manager Michael J. Beck. “It’s crucial that the state and federal governments have an accurate sense of the true costs of this emergency to local governments and private property owners and businesses to follow up with disaster-relief funding.”

Beck urged residents to report their storm-related costs to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, which is tallying estimates countywide.

The office may be reached by dialing 2-1-1. Damage can also be reported online at www.211la.org.

For more information about the city’s emergency declaration and storm-related cost estimates, contact Pasadena Emergency Management Coordinator Lisa Derderian at (626) 744-7276.

Learning to See

I want to show you a couple more pictures I took during Ibarionex Perello's workshop. (I'm proud of this one.)

When you arrive at the workshop, which begins at Memorial Park and takes you trekking through Old Town, you'll be greeted by Ibarionex, his wife Cynthia, and probably a few of their friends. With smiles. And hot coffee. It sets the tone.

Then, like ducklings following your leader, you head out into Old Town in search of challenge, texture and, most of all, light. Ibarionex will give you some basics about using your digital SLR camera, then you're going to start chasing the light and learning to see in new ways.

For my first couple of years of blogging I worked with an Olympus SP350, a nice, purse-sized point-and-shoot that had some manual settings I never used. I still shoot with it sometimes (with the automatic settings) but not as much. I learned a lot and I was ready to move on to a better instrument.

I met Ibarionex at a local blogger event about two and a half years ago. We had already met online. Some time after that first meeting I bought a Canon 20D from him. It might have some of his mojo, but I'll never know unless I learn how to use it. I've been trying to teach myself and I've made progress, but I'm lazy about reading manuals. So when the chance came along to take a workshop with the man himself, I jumped at it. I'm going to jump again this Saturday. It's his last workshop of the year that isn't full yet.

(I'm proud of this one, too.)

I can recommend the class because I've taken it and I already see results. If you want to make the leap, go to the Candid Frame Workshops sign-up page, ignore the other discount codes and get the workshop for $50 by entering this code: perellovip.

I was out shooting today and got a few good pictures, although I admit several were overexposed. It's not like this stuff comes easy. With practice, though, it comes. I could set everything on automatic and let the camera make all the decisions, but in that case I might as well use a point-and-shoot.

Dorothea Lange said "A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." I love wrapping my mind around the meaning of that statement.

Zen Monday: #173

Happy Zen Monday. Please give us your Zen in the comments.

FYI, East of Allen did a better job with this photographic concept. There's more than one way to make this point, skin this cat, beat this dead horse.


Here's the PIO's update on wind storm clean-up as of 5:45 pm today:
(Before I post it I just want to mention that in other cities, one city in particular which shall not be named but with the initials T.C., my friends tell me they still have ZERO information about what's going on with their power, street clean-up, etc. Ann Erdman and her team have been on the job since very early morning December 1st, and that's not to mention all the Pasadena crews: streets, Water & Power, etc. We've had no trouble getting answers when we call City Hall. Bravo!)


CITY OF PASADENA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
NEWS FOR RELEASE: December 5, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT:  Ann Erdman, Office: (626) 744-4755; Cell: (626) 375-2742

PASADENA WINDSTORM UPDATE – Monday, Dec. 5, 5:45 p.m.

Recovery efforts are in full swing as Pasadena works to restore remaining electric customers who without power and clean up debris left in the wake of last week’s ferocious windstorms.

The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announced today the activation of the 2-1-1 county disaster hotline – (800) 980-4990 – for residents to report damages caused by the winds. As recovery efforts continue, in the Los Angeles County area, OEM continues to collect initial estimates from county departments, cities and unincorporated areas to determine public and private sector damages. OEM will continue to coordinate with the California Emergency Management Agency to secure state and federal assistance as warranted. The city of Pasadena is fully cooperating in this important effort.

The following is an update on services and infrastructure as of 5 p.m. Monday, December 5, 2011.  Statistical information begins on page 4.

Green Debris Removal

As city crews continue to remove fallen trees and other green storm debris from Pasadena streets and parks, residents are asked to help by moving their green debris out to the gutter as soon as possible for easy pickup. To recycle all green material and avoid contamination of the resulting mulch, please place only non-bagged green material out for pickup. The city plans to recycle 100 percent of the green material into mulch that will be used in parks and open space citywide.

A systematic east-to-west green debris removal process is now underway and will follow existing trash pickup routes the day after normal refuse collection dates.  The deadline for getting rid of green recyclable waste by taking it to the curb will be on residents’ normal trash pickup day the week of Dec. 12.

Green waste drop-off locations will also be established at Eaton Blanche Park, 3100 E. Del Mar Blvd., and Robinson Park, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., from Wednesday, Dec. 7, through Friday, Dec. 16, from 7 a.m. Green material must be placed inside the large bins on site, which will not be available Sunday.

Free mulch from the green recycling effort will be available to the public beginning Dec. 15 at both drop-off locations.

For more information call (626) 744-4721.

Shelter

Regular recreation programming is scheduled for Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., until  8 p.m.  this evening.  City staff will remain on site to reopen the center in the event the few remaining residents without power need a warm place for the evening.

Streets, Parks and Trees

All primary and secondary arterial roadways were passable as of Saturday afternoon.  As of Monday morning 98 percent of all residential streets are passable.

An assessment of city parks has been completed: Approximately 150 trees have fallen and approximately 30 have sustained structural damage and may need to be removed for safety reasons. A number of park improvements at various sites, including play equipment, backstops, pathway lighting and playground surfaces, have been damaged as well as the scoreboard at the historic Jackie Robinson Stadium in Brookside Park.

The removal and clearing of trees that are not in the public right of way is the responsibility of private property owners.  Those who suffered damage to vehicles, homes or other property caused by fallen city trees or tree limbs should contact their private insurers for proper handling of claims.

Refuse Service

Regular refuse service resumed on Friday.  However, there are a total of 88 residences where refuse service has yet to be restored due to downed power lines and trees.

In response to illegal dumping, the Police Department has increased patrols.  Residents are urged to report any such activities they may witness by calling (626) 744-4241.

Electricity
Some customers may experience intermittent interruptions as Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) disconnects service momentarily to allow crews to reconnect portions of circuits they have repaired or rebuilt.  In some cases, customers are expected to have major repairs performed to their electrical panels before PWP can reconnect permanent power.
Utility Crews, including those from Anaheim Water and Power and Burbank Water and Power as well as private contractors, continue to work around the clock to restore service to roughly 300 or so customers.  Most primary circuits have been repaired, allowing more crews to focus on secondary services.  Efforts are being made to contact remaining customers without power to advise of the status of repairs.  In some cases it may take days to restore service, as most remaining issues involve connections to homes with damaged connections.  Priority has been given to customers with
life-safety concerns and where further structural or electric-system damage is a risk.

Some properties in a small section of Northwest Pasadena are served by Southern California Edison and should call (800) 661-1191 to report outages.

Water
All water customers have service. Southern California Edison has completed repairs to the pump stations in Northwest Pasadena to correct the low water pressure some customers were experiencing.

Safety

Everyone should stay clear of compromised, overhead electric, cable and telephone lines. Do not attempt to remove trees that are touching any utility line. A list of tree-care professionals with expertise in electrical safety and tree health is available under the FYI section at www.cityofpasadena.net.

Athletic Fields

All City athletic fields, with the exception of Diamond 3 at Brookside Park have been returned to normal usage and programming.

Parking Restrictions

Enforcement of all normal parking restrictions is back in effect.  Those needing to park on street due to the presence of storm debris should purchase a temporary overnight parking exemption at www.cityofpasadena.net/Transportation/Temporary_Overnight_Parking_Exemptions or contact the Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 for a temporary permit.
Scams

Verify all credentials of anyone offering to perform inspection or repair work. Call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241 if you suspect a scam.

Declaration of Local Disaster

In response to the disaster, the city declared a local emergency.  This declaration is a proactive and  protective measure consistent with other neighboring cities that have sustained significant damage. It occurs when a disaster has progressed or is anticipated to extend beyond the capability of regular municipal personnel and resources, assisted by neighboring communities, to maintain order and control and confine the incident.

More Information

To report fallen public trees and hazardous tree conditions, call (626) 744-4321.

To report downed power lines, call (626) 564-0199 or (626) 564-0299.

Customer service representatives are on duty around the clock, documenting all call details and forwarding to appropriate staff for resolution. Reports can also be made at the online Citizens Service Center at www.cityofpasadena.net/csc.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.

PASADENA WINDSTORM UPDATE – BY THE NUMBERS
Updated Monday, Dec. 5, 2011
• 1,382 incidents have been logged in by the Public Works Department since Wednesday.

• 3 of 5 public art pieces at Walnut Street and Foothill Boulevard were damaged. 2 have been stabilized and 1 remains down.

• 3 areas of the San Pasqual pedestrian bridge in the Arroyo Seco were damaged by a fallen tree. The damage will be assessed fully after the tree has been removed.

• A 12-inch diameter concrete drainage pipe that outlets to the street through 4 curb drains was exposed due to a fallen tree at 1824-1826 El Sereno Ave. Public Works engineers will conduct an evaluation next week.

• 325 miles of streets were impacted by storm debris – falling trees, tree limbs, utility poles and/or wires. The primary goal has been to move debris to the side of the road so at least one lane in each direction is open. Debris will be removed over the coming weeks.
   * 100 percent of arterial streets are accessible
   * 100 percent of secondary streets are accessible
   * Only two residential streets remain inaccessible

• 23 traffic signals have been repaired; the 3 final repairs are expected today at Orange Grove Boulevard at Allen Avenue, Greenhill at Michillinda Street and Washington Boulevard near Pasadena High School.

• 23 street lights have been repaired.

• 99 percent of power customers are operational and all water customers have service.  Crews continue to work on restoring service to remaining power customers.

• A total of 39 people have used the shelter at Robinson Park, 37 of which were transported by Pasadena ARTS buses following an incident at a single apartment complex.

• Only 4 known injuries

• Trees
   * More than 1,000 street trees fell and an unknown number of street trees were severely damaged
   * Approximately 150 trees fell in city parks and 30 are several damaged
   *67 trees fell at Brookside Golf Course and 120 more were severely damaged

• 5 building inspectors have inspected approximately 200 homes with varying levels of damage
   * 46 housing units have been red-tagged, 40 in the same apartment building
   * 13 structures have been yellow-tagged.

• Street clearing
   * 160 Public Works Department field employees were on duty Thursday and Friday.  93 were on staff Saturday and 65 were on duty Sunday.  177 were on duty Monday morning.
   * 29 workers from Los Angeles County Department of Public Works were on duty Thursday, 32 on Friday and 15 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. 
   * 122 field employees from contractors were on duty Thursday and Friday and 51 Saturday and Sunday. On Monday there were 43 on duty.

• Fire service has returned to normal activity level
     * From 8 p.m. on Nov. 20 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Fire Department was dispatched to the following:
          - 57 fire calls
          -  42 medical calls
          -  109 service calls
          -  163 wires or other electrical system-related calls
          -  15 natural gas-related calls
          -  Total = 386 (roughly 8 times the normal call volume)
     * 11 other agencies assisted us on 94 calls. At our peak, we had 27 units from other agencies handling calls in our city.
     * Pasadena Fire Department regularly has 7 engines, 2 trucks and 5 ambulances available in the city and added 4 engines and 1 patrol to supplement capacity on Thursday.

• Police service has returned to normal activity level
     * From 10 p.m. on Nov. 30 to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Pasadena Police Department Communication Center processed 4,650 calls for service including 9-1-1 and non-emergency requests.
     * During the same operational period the Police Department called back or extended the shift of on-duty personnel, including:
          -  13 police officers
          -  11 Police Volunteers
     * 248 pending incidents to be investigated were reported on Dec. 1

# # #

Ann Erdman
Public Information Officer
City of Pasadena
Public Affairs Office
100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S228
Pasadena CA  91109
(626) 744-4755
Cell: (626) 375-2742
www.cityofpasadena.net/publicaffairs
Facebook:  Pasadena PIO
Twitter:  pasadenapio

Chasing the Light

As I write I'm very sleepy, so just this:

Saturday I took the Digital Camera Bootcamp I told you about with Ibarionex Perello, pro photographer and gifted teacher.

I'll tell you more Tuesday but I couldn't wait to say at least this much: there's one more workshop this year that isn't already full and it's next Saturday. To sign up and pay only $50 for the class, which is worth three times as much, will make you as tired as I am now and will also make you a better photographer in a single day, go here, ignore the other codes and enter this code: perellovip.

Chasing the Light is Ibarionex's most recent book about photography. Boz managed to get his picture in it.


6:58 pm, An Electricity Update and Warning from Ann Erdman, Pasadena's Public Information Officer:

CAUTION STRONGLY URGED REGARDING HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY

There are been reports of some residents opening pole boxes at the base of street lights and stringing wire from the boxes to their homes.

The voltage in most boxes is much too high for individual homes. This practice is illegal as well as extremely hazardous to people and structures.

Pasadena Water and Power officials have been contacting households without electricity with updates on restoration of services.  Power was restored to several homes today and PWP crews will continue working throughout the night and for as long as it takes to ensure power to all homes is restored as quickly as possible.

Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., will open at 7 p.m. tonight to provide a warm place for residents without power.


We have a WINDSTORM UPDATE from Ann Erdman, Pasadena's Public Information Officer Extraordinaire:


today, 5:30pm

The City of Pasadena has been working around the clock on recovery efforts in the wake of the fierce windstorms that struck overnight Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. In response to the disaster, the city declared a local emergency, a proactive protective measure consistent with other neighboring cities that have sustained significant damage. It occurs when a disaster has progressed or is anticipated to extend beyond the capability of regular municipal personnel and resources, assisted by personnel and resources from contiguous municipalities, to maintain order and control and confine the incident.

The following is an update on services and infrastructure as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011.

Shelter

Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., returned to regular recreation programming yesterday.
The center will open at 7 p.m. tonight to provide a warm place for residents without power.

Streets, Trees and Parks

All primary and secondary arterial roadways were passable as of Saturday afternoon.  As of Sunday afternoon 85 percent of all residential streets are passable.

Removal of debris still along the side of roads will be trucked to two county facilities near Eaton Canyon – the L.A. County Public Works Eaton Yard and the Hastings Spreading Basin.  There it will be chipped and used for mulch citywide.  The removal is expected to take two to four weeks and the chipping could take four to six months depending on the volume of material.  

The removal and clearing of trees that are not in the public right of way is the responsibility of private property owners.  Those who suffered damage to vehicles, homes or other property caused by fallen city trees or tree limbs should contact their private insurers for proper handling of claims.

An assessment of city parks has been completed.  Approximately 100 trees have fallen and approximately 30 have sustained structural damage and may need to be removed for safety reasons.  A number of park improvements at various sites, including play equipment, backstops, pathway lighting and playground surfaces, have been damaged as well as the scoreboard at the historic Jackie Robinson Stadium at Brookside Park.


Refuse (trash, yard waste and recycling) Service

Regular refuse service resumed on Friday, with weekend service provided to those whose regular service was missed on Thursday.  The city’s bulky and abandoned item collection crew has been combing the city to remove large items ahead of the workweek.

Electricity

Utility Crews, including those from Anaheim Water and Power and Burbank Water and Power as well as private contractors, continue to work around the clock to restore service.  As of late Friday 99 percent of customers had service.  Efforts are being made to contact remaining customers without power to advise of the status of repairs.  In some cases it may take days to restore service, as most remaining issues involve problems on private property. Priority has been given to customers with life-safety concerns and where further structural or electric-system damage is a risk.
Customers may experience intermittent interruptions as Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) disconnects  service momentarily to allow crews to reconnect portions of circuits they repaired or rebuilt.
Some properties in a small section of Northwest Pasadena are served by Southern California Edison and should call (800) 661-1191 to report outages.

Water
All water customers have water.  There are about 150 customers with temporary connections where permanent repairs were not possible due to lack of access caused by fallen trees.  Permanent repairs will be made over the next two weeks as access is made available.

Approximately 25 customers in Northwest Pasadena are experiencing low water pressure due to pumps that are offline at two pumping stations in Edison’s territory where power outages remain.  Edison has restored power to one of the stations.  In the meantime PWP has provided bottle water to residents.

Safety

Everyone should stay clear of compromised, overhead electric, cable and telephone lines. Do not attempt to remove trees that are touching any utility line. A list of tree-care professionals with expertise in electrical safety and tree health is available under the FYI section at www.cityofpasadena.net.

Athletic Fields

Athletic fields in city parks are currently being cleared of debris and assessed for playing conditions.  It is anticipated that most, if not all, will reopen Monday, Dec. 5.


Parking Restrictions

Enforcement of all normal parking restrictions is back in effect.  Those needing to park on the street due to the presence of storm debris should obtain a temporary overnight parking exemption (TOPEX) which may be purchased at www.cityofpasadena.net/Transportation/Temporary_Overnight_Parking_Exemptions.

Scams

Verify all credentials of anyone offering to perform inspection or repair work. Call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241 if you suspect a scam.

More Information

To report fallen public trees and hazardous tree conditions, call (626) 744-4321.

To report downed power lines, call (626) 564-0199 or (626) 564-0299.

Customer service representatives are on duty around the clock, documenting all call details and forwarding to appropriate staff for resolution. Reports can also be made at the online Citizens Service Center at www.cityofpasadena.net/csc.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.

Update by the Numbers Begins on the Next Page.

PASADENA WINDSTORM UPDATE – BY THE NUMBERS
Updated Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011
• 1,382 incidents have been logged in by the Public Works Department since Wednesday.

• 3 of 5 public art pieces at Walnut Street and Foothill Boulevard were damaged. 2 have been stabilized and 1 remains down.

• 3 areas of the San Pasqual pedestrian bridge in the Arroyo Seco were damaged by a fallen tree. The damage will be assessed fully after the tree has been removed.

• A 12-inch diameter concrete drainage pipe that outlets to the street through 4 curb drains was exposed due to a fallen tree at 1824-1826 El Sereno Ave. Public Works engineers will conduct an evaluation next week.

• 325 miles of streets were impacted by storm debris – falling trees, tree limbs, utility poles and/or wires. The primary goal has been to move debris to the side of the road so at least one lane in each direction is open. Debris will be removed over the coming weeks.
   * 100 percent of arterial streets are accessible
   * 100 percent of secondary streets are accessible
   * 85 percent of residential streets are accessible

• 34 traffic signals reported for repair
     * 8 were not Pasadena and were referred to Caltrans and the county of Los Angeles
     * Of the remaining 26, all will be back to normal operations by Monday morning.

• 25 street lights have been evaluated with 19 immediate repairs completed and 6 pending.

• 99 percent of power customers are operational and all water customers have service.  Crews continue to work on restoring service to remaining power customers.

• 37 people were transported by Pasadena ARTs buses to a temporary shelter at Robinson Park Center and there was one walk-in.  All have since been relocated.

• Only 4 known injuries

• Trees
   * More than 600 street trees fell and an unknown number of street trees were severely damaged
   * Approximately 100 trees fell in City parks and 30 are several damaged
   * 67 trees fell at Brookside Golf Course and 120 more were severely damaged

• 5 building inspectors have inspected approximately 200 homes with varying levels of damage
   * 46 housing units have been red-tagged, 40 in the same apartment building
   * 13 structures have been yellow-tagged.

• Street clearing
   * 160 Public Works Department field employees were on duty Thursday and Friday.  93 were on staff Saturday and 65 were on duty Sunday. 
   * 29 workers from Los Angeles County Department of Public Works were on duty Thursday, 32 on Friday, 15 on Saturday and Sunday. 
   * 122 field employees from contractors were on duty Thursday and Friday and 51 Saturday and Sunday.

• Fire Calls - Fire service has returned to normal activity level
     * From 8 p.m. on Nov. 20 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Fire Department was dispatched to the following:
          - 57 fire calls
          -  42 medical calls
          -  109 service calls
          -  163 wires or other electrical system-related calls
          -  15 natural gas-related calls
          -  Total = 386 (roughly 8 times the normal call volume)
     * 11 other agencies assisted us on 94 calls. At our peak, we had 27 units from other agencies handling calls in our city.
     * Pasadena Fire Department regularly has 7 engines, 2 trucks and 5 ambulances available in the city and added 4 engines and 1 patrol to supplement capacity on Thursday.

• Police Calls – Police service has returned to normal activity level
     * From 10 p.m. on Nov. 30 to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Pasadena Police Department Communication Center processed 4,650 calls for service including 9-1-1 and non-emergency requests.
     * During the same operational period the Police Department called back or extended the shift of on-duty personnel, including:
          -  13 police officers
          -  11 Police Volunteers
     * 248 pending incidents to be investigated were reported on Dec. 1

Chainsaw Gang

They came

They sawed

They conquered.

We were released from captivity on the block yesterday when a team of CDCR Prisoners came with chainsaws. CDCR, for those who don't click the link, stands for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. You've gotta know these guys are the ones for which Correction and Rehabilitation are working, because I don't think you give chainsaws to the hard cases.

It took the better part of the afternoon (they had three giants to slay) but they did it. Bravo. Thanks for releasing us, gentlemen. Don't think I don't see the irony.


Storm Updates from Pasadena PIO:

Today, 4:30 pm
 The winds have died down, and the city of Pasadena continues its round-the-clock efforts as we transition from emergency response to disaster recovery.

Here is an update on services and infrastructure.
Shelter

The shelter at Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., closed this morning and has returned to recreation programming.  Robinson Park Center will also be open Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for residents without Power. Residents can play basketball, table games, watch TV and stay warm.

All other City of Pasadena community centers are scheduled to be closed Sunday, Dec. 4.  However, staff will continue to assess power outages and community need to determine if a center should remain open. In the event overnight care is needed, the shelter at Robinson Park will be reactivated and announced.

Trees and Streets

All primary and secondary arterial roadways are passable today, with cut-up trees and other debris moved to the side of the roads for pickup.  Assessment of residential streets is continuing today to determine how many need tree and debris removal to become passable.

Removal of the debris still along the side of the roads will be trucked to two county facilities near Eaton Canyon – the L.A. County Public Works Eaton Yard and the Hastings Spreading Basin.  There it will be chipped and used for mulch citywide.  The removal is expected to take two to four weeks and the chipping could take four to six months depending on the volume of material. 

All city parks are undergoing damage assessments today.

The overall urban forest is being assessed to identify trees that are leaning and in danger of falling.

The removal and clearing of trees that are not in the public right of way is the responsibility of private property owners.  Those who suffered damage to vehicles, homes or other property caused by fallen city trees or tree limbs should contact their private insurers for proper handling of claims.

Trash Service

Residents who normally would have had trash, yard waste and recycling pickup on Thursday are receiving this service today. Routes are being cleared today for Monday trash pickup areas.

Electricity

Power has been restored to 95 percent of affected customers. The remaining 313 electric customers should be restored to service within 72 hours. Priority is given to customers with life-safety concerns and where further structural or electric-system damage is a risk.

Anaheim Water and Power as well as Burbank Water and Power have provided mutual aid assistance to Pasadena Water and Power as the unique challenges of isolated outages are being handled on a customer-by-customer basis.  Collectively more than 80 power personnel are working in the field to restore power as quickly as possible.

Although the bulk of the electric grid has been restored and is stable, there are individual properties throughout Pasadena. Each of these isolated outages has its unique challenges and safety considerations.

Some properties in a small section of Northwest Pasadena are served by Southern California Edison and should call (800) 661-1191 to report outages.

Water

Water outages throughout Pasadena were largely due to uprooted trees that have ruptured service lines under sidewalks and streets. Water field crews are handling these isolated cases on a customer-by-customer basis, around the clock, and estimate that water service will be restored to all remaining 10 customers with 24 to 36 hours.

Temporary solutions for service restoration are being used in certain situations; permanent repairs will be made over the next few weeks.

Damages to portions of the roof at Sunset Reservoir have been repaired. One of the basins, which holds five million gallons, will be out of service until it can be cleaned and recertified by public health officials. Customers can rest assured that no contaminated water was pumped in Pasadena’s water distribution system and water is safe to drink throughout the community.

Pasadena has a total water storage capacity of 110 million gallons – an adequate supply for all customers while Sunset Reservoir is partially out of service. Pasadena Water and Power is providing assistance to South Pasadena while a portion of that city’s water distribution system is offline due to wind-related damage.

Neither the newly renovated Windsor Reservoir, with its 2,772 rooftop solar panels, nor the new Monk Hill Water Treatment Plant sustained any damages.

Approximately 25 customers in Northwest Pasadena are experiencing low water pressure due to pumps that are offline in in Edison’s territory where power outages remain. Edison officials have been asked to prioritize restoration of power in this area so normal water pressure can resume as soon as possible.

Safety

Everyone should stay clear of compromised, overhead electric, cable and telephone lines. Do not attempt to remove trees that are touching any utility line. A list of tree-care professionals with expertise in electrical safety and tree health is available under the FYI section at www.cityofpasadena.net.

Athletic Fields

All athletic fields in city parks are closed until Monday, Dec. 5, due to debris and unsafe playing conditions.

Parking Restrictions

Enforcement of all normal parking restrictions will go back into effect at 2 a.m. Sunday.  Red Flag parking restrictions in hillside areas have been canceled.

Scams

Verify all credentials of anyone offering to perform inspection or repair work. Call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241 if you suspect a scam.

More Information

To report fallen public trees and hazardous tree conditions, call (626) 744-4321.

To report downed power lines, call (626) 564-0199 or (626) 564-0299.

Customer service representatives are on duty around the clock, documenting all call details and forwarding to appropriate staff for resolution. Reports can also be made at the online Citizens Service Center at www.cityofpasadena.net/csc.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.


PASADENA WINDSTORM UPDATE – BY THE NUMBERS
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011

• 1,372 incidents have been logged in by the Public Works Department since Wednesday.

• 3 of 5 public art pieces at Walnut Street and Foothill Boulevard were damaged. 2 have been stabilized and 1 remains down.

• 3 areas of the San Pasqual pedestrian bridge in the Arroyo Seco were damaged by a fallen tree. The damage will be assessed fully after the tree has been removed.

• A 12-inch diameter concrete drainage pipe that outlets to the street through 4 curb drains was exposed due to a fallen tree at 1824-1826 El Sereno Ave. Public Works engineers will conduct an evaluation next week.

• 325 miles of streets were impacted by storm debris – falling trees, tree limbs, utility poles and/or wires. The primary goal has been to move debris to the side of the road so at least one lane in each direction is open. Debris will be removed over the coming weeks.
     * 100 percent of arterial streets are accessible
     * 100 percent of secondary streets are accessible
     * The percentage of accessible residential streets is unknown at this time

• 34 traffic signals reported for repair
     * 8 were not Pasadena and were referred to Caltrans and the county of Los Angeles
     * Of the remaining 26, immediate/temporary repairs were completed on 18 with remaining eight pending

• 23 street lights reported for repair
     * Immediate/temporary repairs were completed on 18, with the remaining 5 pending

• 99 percent of Pasadena Water and Power customers are operational. Crews still working on restoring service to 400 electric and 150 water customers

• 37 people were transported by Pasadena ARTs buses to a temporary shelter at Robinson Park Center. Twenty-five remained until late Friday afternoon when they were relocated. One senior citizen walk-in was later reported and remains at the shelter.

• Only 4 known injuries

• Trees
     * More than 600 street trees fell and an unknown number of street trees were severely damaged
     * 67 trees fell at Brookside Golf Course and 120 more were severely damaged
     * The number of trees that fell or were severely damaged in city parks is unknown at this time

• 5 building inspectors have inspected approximately 200 homes with varying levels of damage
     * 46 housing units have been red-tagged, 40 in the same apartment building
     * 13 structures have been yellow-tagged.

• Street clearing
     * 160 Public Works Department field employees were on duty Thursday and 160 on Friday
     * 29 workers from Los Angeles County Department of Public Works were on duty Thursday and 32 on Friday
     * 122 field employees from contractors were on duty Thursday and Friday

• Fire Calls
     * From 8 p.m. on Nov. 20 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Fire Department was dispatched to the following:
          - 57 fire calls
          -  42 medical calls
          -  109 service calls
          -  163 wires or other electrical system-related calls
          -  15 natural gas-related calls
          -  Total = 386 (roughly 8 times the normal call volume)
     * 11 other agencies assisted us on 94 calls. At our peak, we had 27 units from other agencies handling calls in our city
     * Pasadena Fire Department regularly has 7 engines, 2 trucks and 5 ambulances available in the city and added 4 engines and 1 patrol to supplement capacity on Thursday

• Police Calls
     * From 10 p.m. on Nov. 30 to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Pasadena Police Department Communication Center processed 4,650 calls for service including 9-1-1 and non-emergency requests.
     * During the same operational period the Police Department called back or extended the shift of on-duty personnel, including:
          -  13 police officers
          -  11 Police Volunteers
     * 248 pending incidents to be investigated were reported on Dec. 1

Last night, 9:14 pm


PASADENA WIND STORMS – BY THE NUMBERS

The following information is based on assessments through late afternoon Friday, Dec. 2, and should be considered preliminary and subject to change.  Information will be updated as it becomes available.

325 miles of streets were impacted by storm debris – falling trees, tree limbs, utility poles and/or wires.  The primary goal has been to move debris to the side of the road so at least one lane in each direction is open.  Debris will be removed over the coming weeks.
100 percent of arterial streets are accessible
90 percent of secondary streets are accessible
The percentage of residential streets is unknown at this time

34 traffic signals reported for repair
8 were not Pasadena and were referred to Caltrans and the county of Los Angeles
Of the remaining 26, immediate/temporary repairs were completed on 18 with remaining eight pending

23 street lights reported for repair
Immediate/temporary repairs were completed on 18, with the remaining five pending

99 percent of Pasadena Water and Power customers are operational.  Crews still working on restoring service to 400 electric and 150 water customers

37 people were transported by Pasadena ARTs buses to a temporary shelter at Robinson Park Center. Twenty-five remained until late Friday afternoon when they were relocated. One senior citizen walk-in was later reported and remains at the shelter.

Only 4 known injuries

The Sunset Reservoir roof was damaged, requiring the reservoir to be drained and disinfected and the roof repaired.

Trees
More than 600 street trees fell and an unknown number of street trees were severely damaged
67 trees fell at Brookside Golf Course and 120 more were severely damaged
The number of trees that fell or were severely damaged in city parks is unknown at this time

5 building inspectors have inspected approximately 200 homes with varying levels of damage
46 housing units have been red-tagged, 40 in the same apartment building
13 structures have been yellow-tagged.

Street clearing
160 Public Works Department field employees were on duty Thursday and 160 on Friday
29 workers from Los Angeles County Department of Public Works were on duty Thursday and 32 on Friday
122 field employees from contractors were on duty Thursday and Friday

Fire Calls
From 8 p.m. on Nov. 20 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Fire Department was dispatched to the following:
57 fire calls
42 medical calls
109 service calls
163 wires or other electrical system-related calls
15 natural gas-related calls
Total = 386 (roughly 8 times the normal call volume)
11 other agencies assisted us on 94 calls.  At our peak, we had 27 units from other agencies handling calls in our city
Pasadena Fire Department regularly has 7 engines, 2 trucks and 5 ambulances available in the city and added 4 engines and 1 patrol to supplement capacity on Thursday

Police Calls
From 10 p.m. on Nov. 30 to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2, the Pasadena Police Department Communication Center processed 4,650 calls for service including 9-1-1 and non-emergency requests.
During the same operational period the Police Department called back or extended the shift of on-duty personnel, including:
13 police officers
11 Police Volunteers
o   248 pending incidents to be investigated were reported on Dec. 1

Winter Wonderland, Pasadena Style

"You're not going to work today," I heard my neighbor say when Boz and I stepped out of the house early yesterday morning.

Usually Boz and I are alone for the a.m. perimeter check, not because we're the earliest risers but because our neighbors are up and and gone by the time we get out there. But yesterday we found them in the middle of the street in their jammies with dogs, kids and coffee cups.

In case you haven't heard, we had a wind storm Wednesday night. Sirens wailed. Power lines went down. City workers haven't stopped clearing debris, restoring power and evacuating people from nonfunctioning facilities to functioning ones since nature's tantrum began.

Many streets in Pasadena lost trees. I don't know how other trees landed, but as it happens our street was conveniently blocked at each end and unless you lived beyond the carnage you were not driving out.

Here's a panorama John took of one of our roadblock trees. This giant cedar was planted, I believe, in 1924. You can click on the photo to get the full effect. We're still in a bit of shock; I know our shady little street will be very different now.

Yesterday was a remarkable day. Like a snow day in the Midwest it felt different, wild, celebratory. People were out in the streets all day, people I haven't talked to in ages, people saying hello. We picked clementines--how did they hang onto the tree when a giant cedar could not stand?

John, Boz and I walked in the evening. On the smell of all those wounded trees was a trace of the Wendigo's perfume.


WINDSTORM UPDATE 12/2, 6 p.m.
From Ann Erdman, Pasadena's Public Information Officer

The city of Pasadena has made tremendous progress toward restoring the infrastructure in the wake of the severe windstorms that occurred Wednesday through Thursday.

Since the winds began, an unprecedented number of city staff and contractors have been working around the clock on 12-hour shifts to ensure the safety of the community, clearance of streets and restoration of utilities.

City crews have been working diligently to clear fallen trees and debris out of travel lanes on major thoroughfares along Pasadena’s 325 miles of streets. It could take weeks to remove all the debris from the public right of way.

The removal and clearing of trees that are not in the public right of way is the responsibility of private property owners.  Those who suffered damage to vehicles, homes or other property caused by fallen city trees or tree limbs should contact their private insurers for proper handling of claims.

City refuse service resumed today. Residents who would have had Thursday service will have their trash, yard waste and recycling picked up on Saturday.

Power has been restored to 95 percent of affected customers – all but 400 electric customers and 150 water customers who will be restored to service within 24 to 36 hours. The unique challenges of isolated outages are being handled on a customer-by-customer basis.

Everyone should stay clear of compromised, overhead electric, cable and telephone lines. Do not attempt to remove trees that are touching any utility line. A list of tree-care professionals with expertise in electrical safety and tree health is available under the FYI section at www.cityofpasadena.net.

To report fallen public trees, hazardous tree conditions and downed power lines, call (626) 564-0199 or (626) 564-0299.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.

More comprehensive information on status and progress will be available at www.cityofpasadena.net.

Theme Day: Action Shot

(see below for wind advisory press releases from the Pasadena Public Information Officer, including phone numbers and emergency instructions, as they come in)

Today's City Daily Photo theme is "action shot. This picture of a white crane coming in for a landing at Hahamongna Watershed Park was a lucky shot for me. I have countless action shots of my dog, Boz, running at Hahamongna. They're fun, but it's not the same.

City Daily Photo is now 1429 blogs strong. Sure, some people post more "daily" than others. But pick a city, almost any city, and there's bound to be a CDP blog in it or near it. Our newest addition is Sohar, Oman. Stop by and give a welcome.

Not all CDP bloggers take part in theme day. It's not a requirement. It's just fun. Click here to view thumbnails for today's participants.


WIND ADVISORY UPDATES

Outage Map

1:30 pm

The Pasadena Police Department has surveyed major streets for fallen trees, downed power lines and damaged facilities.

Of 200 buildings in Pasadena damaged by the wind storm, 42 units have been red-tagged – 40 units in one building alone – and six have been yellow-tagged. Residents of red-tagged units have been evacuated.  Thirty-six residents are at a temporary shelter at Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave. California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino graciously provided lunch to the families today. The local Red Cross is assisting at the shelter.

Lamanda Park Branch Library and Hill Avenue Branch Library have sustained downed trees and minor damage.  All Pasadena public libraries are closed today; it will be determined later today if libraries will open tomorrow.

Public schools, Maranatha High School, Pasadena City College, Fuller Theological Seminary and Northwest College are closed today; closures tomorrow will be announced.

The Pasadena Fire Department responded to wind-related fire incidents in the 100 block of Penn Street where a house fire resulted in four injuries; the 1200 block of Hudson Avenue where 40 residents were evacuated due a large tree falling into the structure; and the 900 block of Del Mar Boulevard where seven residents were evacuated due to a structure fire. The injured residents were transported to a local hospital.

Four hundred fifty public street trees are down or damaged. This figure does not include trees in parks and Brookside Golf Course, where assessments are not complete.  The Pasadena Public Works Department is being assisted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works to clear downed trees in the public right of way.

By 11 a.m. today 30 percent of major streets had been cleared of fallen trees and other debris.  Crews expect to complete the work on major streets by the end of the day today.  All but eight of 106 impact traffic signals have been restored to normal operations.

Power is being restored to customers throughout Pasadena. Currently about 3,791 customers – about six percent – are without power; at 9 a.m. more than 5,000 were without power.

Pasadena ARTS buses are not running today.  Dial-A-Ride is available only for non-emergency medical appointments.

Animal control through the Pasadena Humane Society is taking care of animals that are loose as a result of downed fences.

On-street parking regulations are not being enforced today except in Red Flag restricted areas, red curbs, loading zones and disabled parking spaces.  Enforcement of overnight parking restrictions will be suspended tonight except in Red Flag areas.

The Pasadena Public Health Department encourages anyone who has been clearing debris to make sure they have up-to-date Tetanus shots from the department at 1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave. or a private physician.

The Pasadena Fire Department encourages everyone to make sure their disaster preparedness kits are updated and to have fresh batteries in flashlights.

If power goes out, keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve perishables.

A local state of emergency was declared early this morning and the Emergency Operations Center was activated overnight.

Pasadenans are advised to stay home if possible until the wind situation improves because some roads are impassable and many trees remain fragile throughout the community.  Many streets are barricaded due to fallen trees and/or downed power lines.

The Zero Waste Strategic Plan workshops, the World AIDS Day event and the General Plan workshop in Spanish scheduled for today have been canceled.

City officials urge people not to call 9-1-1 or other emergency numbers unless you have a life-threatening emergency. Do not approach or attempt to move downed power lines. Pasadena Water and Power crews are responding as quickly as possible; they are not responding to downed cable TV lines.

Two information phone lines have been established for the public to report fallen trees and downed power lines – (626) 564-0199 and (626) 564-0299 – and the city website at www.cityofpasadena.net is being updated as necessary.

Additional updates will be provided throughout the day.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.
 
********

Our dear PIO was up very early this morning, and possibly all night:

9:00 am
Now that daylight is upon us, city of Pasadena crews are thoroughly assessing damage throughout the community so responses can be more targeted with respect to fallen trees, downed power lines, damaged facilities, etc.

A local state of emergency was declared early this morning and the Emergency Operations Center was activated overnight.

Pasadenans are advised to stay home if possible until the wind situation improves because some roads are impassable and many trees remain fragile throughout the community.  Many streets are barricaded due to fallen trees and/or downed power lines. We are in the process of clearing trees off major arterial streets and restoring power as quickly as possible.

Pasadena public libraries, public schools, Maranatha High School and Pasadena City College will be closed today.

Dial-A-Ride service will be operational for non-emergency medical appointments only. Pasadena ARTS buses are not in service and be restored to service by this afternoon.

A shelter for displaced families has been established at Robinson Park Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., where Red Cross workers are assisting as well.

The Zero Waste Strategic Plan workshops and the World AIDS Day event scheduled for today have been canceled.

Overnight there were several structure fires, with patients transported by paramedics to local hospitals.

City officials urge people not to call 9-1-1 or other emergency numbers unless you have a life-threatening emergency. Do not approach or attempt to move downed power lines. Pasadena Water and Power crews are responding as quickly as possible; they are not responding to downed cable TV lines.

Two information phone lines have been established for the public – (626) 564-0199 and (626) 564-0299 – and the city website at www.cityofpasadena.net is being updated as necessary.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com.

*******
5:45 am
Pasadena was hard-hit by winds overnight and the situation continues with power outages, fallen trees, downed power lines and structure fires.

Pasadenans are advised to stay home if possible until the wind situation improves because some roads are impassable.  Pasadena ARTS buses are not running until further notice.

The top priorities for the city of Pasadena are life safety and clearing streets. City crews from the Pasadena Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works Department and Pasadena Water and Power have been responding all night throughout Pasadena and continue to do so.

Do not call 9-1-1 or other emergency numbers unless you have a life-threatening emergency. Do not approach or attempt to move downed power lines. Pasadena and Water crews are responding as quickly as possible; they are not responding to downed cable TV lines.

Two information phone lines have been established for the public: (626) 564-0199 and (626) 564-0299 and the city website at www.cityofpasadena.net is being updated as necessary.

Pasadena residents and others who want to sign up for local alerts can go to www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/PLEAS or www.nixle.com."