Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach went dark around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday when the power went out around the majority of the city.
A representative from Southern California Edison (SCE) on the scene in downtown Hermosa Beach said the power outage affected parts of Hermosa Beach west of Valley Street and from 6th Street to 28th Street. He also added that the cause of the outage was yet to be determined, and that SCE crews throughout the city were working hard to isolate the switches around town and find the cause of the outage as fast as possible.
Michael and Talisa Jewell, who were on vacation from Oklahoma and staying in a hotel in downtown Hermosa Beach, weren’t fazed by the outage because they received free pizza from Zeppy’s Pizza on the pier.
“We tried to give them money but they wouldn’t take it,” Michael said, adding that although a lot of places were closed, others were still working on a cash-only basis.
Silvio’s hostess Rayanne Rahy said they had to close the restaurant around 6:30 p.m. because of the lack of power.
“We said that we were sorry, but we had to close,” Rahy said. “We only have water! People understand, all the restaurants in the area are like that.”
Pat Morse and Drew Mager were in the middle of hosting a house party and had to stop at a convenience store to grab ice before it melted and their beer got cold.
“Now the fridge won’t do the job,” said Morse, who was on his way out of the store with Mager and four bags of ice.
Steve Martin, a bouncer at the Comedy and Magic Club on Hermosa Avenue, said the lights went on and off multiple times but the show must go on.
By 7:30 p.m., SCE crews and the Hermosa Beach Fire Department on the scene around 8th Street estimated the power would be out for an hour or more.
“We’re still working on it,” an unnamed Edison employee said while checking out information on a computer and closing a manhole.
Tricia Wood, a hairstylist for Mint Salon, was in the middle of a hair color touch-up when the lights went out.
“The sunlight will be my guide,” said Wood. “I just hope I finish up before it gets dark.”
Wood added that the power has gone out multiple times in Hermosa Beach in the past year.
“It happens about once every other month,” Wood said. “When it happens during business hours I have to cancel appointments, and that’s quite a lot of money lost.”
At 8 p.m., the SCE Outage Center indicated that the power went out at 6:13 p.m and estimated it will be back up and running by midnight. The cause of the outage is still unknown.
