Power out? Here’s where to find charging centers, warming shelters in Yolo, San Joaquin, Sacramento counties

Updated Jan. 9, 12:28 p.m.

With yet another storm’s powerful high winds and rain, the Sacramento and San Joaquin regions saw thousands of power outages this weekend — at one point early morning Sunday, SMUD reported over 350,000 customers lost power. 

Many PG&E customers in Yolo and San Joaquin counties are still without power — after the storm took out much of West Sacramento and Davis’s power grid — and while 90% of those 350,000 Sacramento County SMUD customers have had power restored, that still leaves around 35,000 customers in the dark as of 10:30 a.m. Monday.

In light of potential outages as storms continue, counties and cities have opened up overnight warming zones that provide heated resting areas and places to charge devices. In some cases, they’re also providing free transportation.

Sacramento County has a number of respite locations in the city of Sacramento open, along with an evacuation shelter in Elk Grove. CapRadio’s Chris Nichols has more on those locations and how to use SacRT for free transportation there.

On Sunday, the city of Sacramento opened an additional evacuation center at Hart Senior Center, located in James Marshall Park. For more information about transportation to an evacuation center in Sacramento County, people can call 2-1-1. 

Yolo County charging centers have re-opened, with various buildings on the UC Davis campus — namely, the Memorial Union, Silo, Tercero and Segundo dining commons and Shields Library — providing power for students without it. The campus is still open for business and the first day of classes as winter quarter begins. 

Yolo County

• Davis: 
  • Charging center at the Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St.
  • Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Jan. 9-13
  • Amenities: Water, access to restrooms, power to charge devices, warm resting area. 
• West Sacramento:
  • Charging center at the Recreation Center, 2801 Jefferson Blvd.
  • Hours: 5:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (regular operating hours)
  • Amenities: Warm resting area, access to restrooms, power to charge devices. 
• Knights Landing:
  • Charging center at the Knights Landing Fire Department, 42115 Sixth St.
  • Hours: 2-5 p.m. Jan. 9
  • Amenities: Warm resting area, power to charge devices.

Through its microtransit service VIA Rideshare, West Sacramento is offering free transportation to the charging center. You can sign up on the VIA Rideshare website or call 916-318-5101 to book a ride.

A respiratory illness check will be given at the door for the Knights Landing charging center; if a resident is sick, their device can still be charged, but they must wait in the car. Masks are required at the Knights Landing center and will be provided for those who don’t have one.

San Joaquin County

• Stockton: 
  • Overnight warming zones at four locations:
    • Arnold Rue Community Center, 5758 Lorraine Ave., 209-937-7350
    • Oak Park Senior Center, 730 E. Fulton St., 209-937-7777
    • Stribley Community Center, 1760 E. Sonora St., 209-937-7351
    • Van Buskirk Community Center, 734 Houston Ave., 209-937-7358
  • Hours: 8 p.m.-7 a.m.,, Jan. 1-12
  • Amenities: Water, snacks, access to restrooms, power to charge devices during operational hours (9 a.m.-8 a.m. M-Th, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. F, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat) and a warm resting area.
• Tracy:
  • Overnight warming zone at the meeting room of the Tracy Sports Complex, 955 Crossroads Dr., 209-610-4349
  • Hours: 7 p.m.-7 a.m., Jan. 2-31
  • Amenities: Warm resting area. 

At the warming zones in both Stockton and Tracy, face coverings are required and will be provided to those who do not have one. 

Free transportation is provided to the Tracy warming zone via a shelter that runs from 7-7:30 p.m. and picks up at the following locations:

• Detention Basin 4 Entrance (paved area on the east side at the base of the bridge)
• El Pescadero Park Parking Lot (near portable restrooms)
• Plasencia Fields (parking lot gate on Krohn Road)

CapRadio staff is tracking the latest on the storm, with a page updating regularly here. We’ve also put together a guide on how to prepare for and respond to inclement weather.