GA Airport Turned Into Emergency Base In Storm-Ravaged California

Ocean Ridge Airport's 2,504-foot runway is expected to be a basecamp for power company workers through the end of February.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, January 09, 2023 at 06:23 PM ET

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Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is using Ocean Ridge Airport as an emergency staging area amid widespread power outages in California. [Courtesy: Mike Nelson]

Key Takeaways:

Ocean Ridge Airport (E55) is currently serving as a crucial emergency staging area for PG&E, deploying 300 personnel and extensive equipment to restore power during severe atmospheric river storms in rural coastal California.
This utilization demonstrates the argument that airports, even privately owned ones like E55, are vital public resources capable of becoming critical logistical hubs during large-scale community emergencies.
The airport has been transformed into a temporary "pop-up city" for relief efforts, necessitating its closure to regular air traffic while enabling essential disaster response operations.

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One of the arguments used to protect airports from closure and redevelopment is that they are public resources, especially in times of emergency. That’s exactly what is happening at Ocean Ridge Airport (E55) on the coast of California.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)—the company that provides the bulk of California’s power—is using the airport as an emergency staging area as wave after wave of atmospheric rivers come in from the Pacific knocking out power. As of Monday afternoon, at least 12 deaths had been attributed to the storm, some by flood waters or by falling trees that were knocked down by the combination of saturated soil and strong winds.