Transformer failure at SCE substation causes outage in Downey area

What happened

A transformer failure at a Southern California Edison substation in the Downey/Norwalk area was reported on 24 December 2024 to have caused a widespread power outage. The outage began around 1:30 p.m. and affected more than 31,000 customers, according to SCE. How far it spread was not confirmed. There were reports of power loss in areas including Santa Fe Springs, Bellflower, Whittier, Compton, Lakewood, Paramount and South Gate. SCE said power had been restored to all impacted areas in Downey by Wednesday morning, while work to restore remaining customers was still under way.

Metro C Line trains were halted between Norwalk and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks stations, and buses were used to move passengers. Traffic lights were reported out at multiple intersections, and shopping centres closed.

Lessons learned

1. Rerouting supply from other circuits can restore most customers before a failed transformer is returned to service.
2. A substation failure can stop electrified rail, so a bus bridge limits passenger disruption.
3. Traffic signals and shops can lose supply at the same time, so restoration plans should cover transport and public-safety loads.

Source

abc7.com