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Power Outage Shuts Down City Hall

By Oliver Lukacs
Lookout Staff

Feb. 12 -- A “weather-related power outage” blacked out City Hall at about 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, forcing the evacuation of all but five City employees, who stayed behind to “hold down the fort.”

Water, most likely from the current rainstorm drenching the Southland, leaked into an open conduit of a power room inside the new public safety facility under construction, knocking out all electricity and leaving City Hall, which is just a few feet away, in total darkness, City officials said.

“There was a leak and everything was quite wet,” said City spokeswoman Judy Rambeau, one of the approximately 300 staff members who work in the building and one of the handful who stayed behind. “They decided to cut the power before the circuits blew and created more destruction.”

The phone lines were still up at City Hall, which was the only municipal facility hit by the power outage, Rambeau said. All other vital city services, such as the police and fire departments, remained operational, she said.

“One of the interesting things is that we have flashlights on our desks that look like lanterns,” said Rambeau, who in the five years at her post has never seen a complete shutdown of the facility. “Some people who are near windows are using the natural light, but it’s so cloudy outside there isn’t much of that.”

Fortunately, it wasn't a busy day at City Hall, and not just because of the steady rain. “People thought we were closed anyway today because of Lincoln’s birthday,” said Rambeau, adding for clarification that the City takes off President’s Day.

“We’re going to stay till we find out what’s the scoop for tomorrow, but hopefully we will back in business as usual,” said Rambeau. In the meantime, “we’re doing what we can holding down the fort.”