Hundreds of customers around Los Angeles International Airport woke up in the dark on Wednesday after a power outage cut electricity to the Los Angeles County Airport Courthouse, shutting the building for the day and throwing court schedules into flux. Urgent cases, including felony and misdemeanor arraignments, were rerouted to other courthouses while utility crews worked to get the lights back on during an early-season heat wave.
Southern California Edison reported that the outage hit 447 homes and businesses, started at about 6 a.m., and was expected to be fully restored by 6 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Times. Spokesman David Eisenhauer shared the figures in an email to reporters, noting that the blackout was limited to a small pocket near the southeast corner of LAX.
Courthouse operations
The Los Angeles County Airport Courthouse on La Cienega Boulevard never opened its doors on Wednesday because of the outage, and court officials quickly announced that all “imperative matters” scheduled there would be shifted elsewhere. Felony and misdemeanor arraignments were moved to the Torrance Courthouse, while the rest of the day’s calendar was continued or rescheduled, according to the Los Angeles Times. That meant judges, attorneys, and defendants were all forced to pivot on short notice.
Heat advisory and regional strain
The blackout arrived as Southern California baked under a multiday heat wave, with forecasters warning of unusually early temperature spikes. A Heat Advisory was in effect for coastal Los Angeles through Friday, and forecasts pointed to inland highs in the 80s and 90s across the region, according to NBC Los Angeles. High heat can push power demand sharply higher, adding pressure on the grid and complicating repair and restoration work.
What to do during an outage
Southern California Edison advises customers to report outages, check its outage center for estimated restoration times, and follow the safety tips posted on its Outages & Safety pages. The utility also lists cooling centers and community resources for residents stuck without air conditioning during heat events.
Court users with hearings or other business scheduled at the Airport Courthouse are urged to monitor the Los Angeles County Superior Court website for updates and to track restoration progress through Southern California Edison. Residents in the affected neighborhoods were asked to check on vulnerable neighbors and to seek medical care if anyone begins to show signs of heat-related illness.
