San Francisco Power Outage Paralyzes Holiday Travel: What You Need to Know About the City’s Blackout Chaos!

Published on December 22, 2025

On a busy holiday weekend, San Francisco was hit by a significant power outage, causing massive disruptions across the city. The power loss, which was triggered by a fire at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) electrical substation located at 8th and Mission streets, left approximately 130,000 homes and businesses without electricity. The incident, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, created widespread chaos, disrupting public transportation, city services, and local businesses at the height of the holiday shopping season. Though power was gradually restored by Sunday morning, many residents and businesses remained affected, with between 17,000 to 21,000 customers still without electricity as repair efforts continued.

Disruptions to Transportation and Road Travel

One of the most significant impacts of the power outage was felt in San Francisco’s transportation systems. The blackout led to the failure of traffic signals throughout large sections of the city, causing severe congestion at busy intersections. Drivers were forced to navigate dark streets with no signal control, leading to traffic delays and an increase in the risk of accidents. In addition, public transit services, including Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Municipal Railway (Muni), experienced delays or partial closures. Key stations and routes, especially those in downtown areas, were either bypassed or suspended during the outage.

The outage also affected autonomous vehicles operating in the city. Videos shared on social media captured Waymo driverless taxis stalled in the middle of intersections, their hazard lights flashing as traffic signals failed to operate. As a safety measure, Waymo temporarily suspended its autonomous ride-hailing services across the city. However, Tesla’s autonomous vehicles did not experience as much disruption, and their services continued largely uninterrupted. Despite this, the focus remained on the interruption of public and commercial transportation services, which significantly impacted both residents and visitors.

Challenges for Public Transit Services

San Francisco’s public transit networks, which are vital for daily commuting, were also deeply affected by the power failure. BART, one of the city’s most important transit systems, halted service at several stations, while Muni services such as the Central Subway were disrupted. In response to the outage, operators made temporary adjustments, including turning back trains at certain stations and modifying service plans to accommodate the loss of electrical power. This led to reduced capacity and longer wait times, particularly during peak travel hours. Commuters were left scrambling to find alternative transportation options, especially those traveling to holiday events, shopping districts, and San Francisco International Airport.

Impact on Local Businesses and Services

Local businesses, especially retail shops, restaurants, and cultural venues, were also significantly affected by the outage. Many shops and restaurants in popular commercial areas were forced to close early or remain closed for the entire day due to the lack of power. This led to reduced foot traffic, particularly in districts that are usually bustling during the holiday season. The disruption came at a critical time for seasonal commerce, leaving business owners concerned about lost revenue during one of the most important shopping weekends of the year.

Municipal offices, including City Hall, also remained closed on Monday as restoration work continued. City officials noted the challenges posed by the substation fire and assured the public that efforts were underway to fully restore power. Engineers and electricians from PG&E were deployed to assess the damage and begin repairs, which were expected to take time due to the complexity of the damage. The utility company described the damage to the substation as significant, requiring careful attention to ensure that power was safely restored to all affected customers. By late Sunday and early Monday, it was anticipated that full restoration would occur by early afternoon, although localized outages remained in certain neighborhoods, including Presidio, Richmond, Sunset District, and parts of downtown.

Public Safety and Traffic Management

To ensure public safety during the outage, San Francisco authorities issued a series of safety advisories. Residents and visitors were urged to avoid unnecessary travel, particularly during the blackout’s peak hours when traffic signals were down and intersections were congested. Motorists were advised to treat non-functional traffic signals as four-way stops, and police officers were stationed at critical intersections to help manage traffic flow. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also warned people to stay alert to ongoing updates and travel advisories, emphasizing the importance of monitoring official sources for the latest information.

While the outage did not result in any reported injuries, the event underscored vulnerabilities in the city’s electrical infrastructure. The PG&E and city officials have committed to investigating the cause of the fire and the subsequent power failure. Their findings may play a crucial role in informing future improvements to the city’s infrastructure and emergency response plans, ensuring that similar incidents can be mitigated in the future.

Recovery and Restoration Efforts

As the city worked to recover, PG&E focused on restoring power as quickly and safely as possible. Although service was gradually restored by Sunday, the full restoration process took longer, especially in areas that had been hit hardest by the fire at the electrical substation. Local officials emphasized that repair crews would continue working through the weekend to fix any remaining issues and ensure that all customers would have their electricity restored in the shortest possible time.

The power outage highlighted the vulnerabilities in San Francisco’s infrastructure and its wide-reaching effects on daily life. From public transportation to local businesses, and even autonomous vehicles, the outage left an indelible mark on the city during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The disruptions were compounded by the holiday season, making the city’s recovery efforts all the more critical.

As of now, city officials are focusing on ensuring that normal operations can resume, while also implementing measures to enhance the city’s resilience to future disruptions. Although this event was unexpected, it has provided valuable lessons in how cities can better prepare for and respond to infrastructure failures, especially in times of high demand and increased travel.