A winter storm that hit California caused a series of rain damage throughout Southern California, causing power outages at senior apartments near Los Angeles’ Koreatown. It was already cold, but Korean seniors had to stay up all night without eating in the dark.
The “Baldwin Villa Plaza” senior apartment in Baldwin Hills, south of Koreatown, lost electricity and gas from around 8 p.m. on the 4th, and the power outage continued until 6 p.m. on the 5th, the next day.
Residents of the apartment, where about 150 out of 200 households are Korean senior families, said they could not eat warm meals all day because there was no gas, let alone wash with hot water.
In addition, seniors said that they stayed awake all night in cold weather due to the lack of heating.
Andy Jung, who lived here for about a year and a half, said, “I came home yesterday (4th) and was resting, and suddenly the electricity went out and the apartment managers also left work. Elders like me were the only ones in panic.”
“I couldn’t eat because all the gas and electricity were cut off, and I also couldn’t take the medicine I had to take,” Jung said. “Most of all, I turned on the candle because I couldn’t see well, but I was worried that it would cause a fire, so I stayed up all night.”
Residents were most concerned about the fire because there were some dementia patients in senior apartments.
Another resident said, “There are houses that use burners, so I was worried some dementia patients might use them and cause a fire,” he sighed. “It’s really dizzying to think about it if there’s a fire in a situation where I can’t see anything because it’s dark.”
On the morning of the 5th, the apartment was at least visible due to the sunlight that was exposed after the rain stopped. However, the stairs of the emergency exit of the apartment without light were dark itself. Emergency lights and exit signs were turned off due to a lack of batteries, which seemed to increase the risk of safety accidents for seniors who were not well.
In addition, as elevators were suspended due to the power outage, seniors frequently went up and down stairs relying on flashlights in the dark.
Regina Kim, who has lived here for 12 years, said, “I can’t see anything, so I’m scared to go down the stairs,” adding, “but I have to go down and meet my manager and charge my phone.”
The LA Metropolitan Power Administration (LADWP) said it is investigating the cause of the power outage, weighing the possibility that the transformer may have burst as water seeped into the basement due to heavy rain.
“LADWP employees arrived at 2 a.m. today (5th) and are undergoing restoration work,” said Mark Buesso, manager of the apartment. “At first, I said it would finish around 5 a.m., but it has been delayed.”
He added, “It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do,” adding, “We’re doing our best to provide convenience to residents such as snacks, coffee, and generators.”
Meanwhile, the LADWP reported that 2,500 people suffered power outages in Mid-Wilshire, including Korean Town, due to heavy rains.
Jang Su-ah.
