Strong winds are wreaking havoc with power lines across the San Diego Gas & Electric service area, affecting customers from Palomar Mountain to Jacumba.
As of 7:30 p.m., SDG&E reported 1,000 households were without power.
SDG&E spokeswoman Allison Zaragoza said record high winds were preventing crews from repairing the lines and there was no estimate on when power would be restored to the affected areas.
A high wind warning was in effect for local valley and mountain areas for the second consecutive day Wednesday. The National Weather Service issued the warning until 5 p.m. Thursday, saying peak wind gusts of 60-80 miles per hour were likely.
"If weather threatens the integrity of the system, we will turn off power to protect public safety in that area, but we don't anticipate doing that," SDG&E spokesman Hanan Eisenman said.
Eisenman said the utility had crews at the ready in high wind areas. He also said SDG&E previously had replaced more than 3,000 wood power poles in high-risk areas with taller, steel poles and a heavier gauge of wire. More than 500 people were in the office and the field due to the weather-related incidents, he said.
A power outage at three schools in the Mountain Empire School District resulted in all students going home earlier Wednesday.
