A transformer failure at a Southern California Edison (SCE) substation in the Downey-Norwalk area left approximately 40,000 customers without power on Christmas Eve, disrupting holiday celebrations and public transportation across Los Angeles County.
The outage, which began around 4 PM on Tuesday, primarily affected over 20,000 households in Downey, with thousands more impacted across neighboring areas. The blackout forced residents to adapt their holiday plans creatively.
Local resident Lillie Reda found herself cooking Christmas dinner by candlelight and barbecue. "I just got finished making my ham, and then I was like, 'Oh no, how am I gonna make my mashed potatoes?'" she said. "We've never had this happen before."
The power disruption also affected public transit, causing the Metro LA Green Line to suspend service between Norwalk and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks stations. Metro deployed bus shuttles to assist stranded passengers trying to reach their holiday destinations. Passenger Jon Wittaker expressed his frustration: "It's a little bit of an imposition for me because I'm excited to go see my grandchildren."
By 10:30 PM, SCE had restored power to most affected areas, with outages reduced to just 291 customers. However, some residents may experience continued disruptions until Wednesday evening, according to utility estimates.
SCE officials confirmed that the widespread outages stemmed from a transformer failure at a Norwalk substation, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The utility company continues to work on full restoration of services across the affected areas.
The incident marks an unprecedented holiday disruption for the community, affecting thousands of families during one of the year's most celebrated evenings.