With many customers still drying out from rains earlier this week, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reports it is preparing for a stronger storm forecasted to arrive Sunday. The storm, which meteorologists are calling an atmospheric river event, is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and potential power outages to customers across Central and Northern California.
“The active storm track we experienced this week will continue into this weekend with a significant storm likely arriving on Sunday and continuing into Monday,” said PG&E meteorologist Evan Duffey. “This storm is looking to be stronger than the Wednesday/Thursday system of this week, with gusty winds expected for large swaths of the territory accompanied by periods of heavy rain.”
PG&E has been preparing for this storm, staging crews in the areas expected to receive the most severe storm impacts. Electric, gas and tree crews follow guidance from meteorologists to forecast crew and material needs, and timing of the storm.
Website improvements
If an outage does occur, PG&E reports that its online outage center has been updated and improved based on customer feedback. Significant changes include the following:
- Faster loading times to find important outage information.
- An outage status tracker so customers can get status updates on the assessment and repair of their outage.
- More local information on the extent of outages around a customer’s home and business.
- More information on how to prepare ahead of outages, what causes outages and how PG&E prioritizes restoration work.
Additionally, renters and others without a PG&E account can sign up for outage notifications by text, email or phone. PG&E will let customers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has been restored. If receiving an outage text, customers can reply “status” to learn the latest information on the outage without visiting the outage page.
Storm safety tips
As PG&E follows its plan to prepare for the storm, customers are urged to prepare their families as well.
- Never touch downed wires. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and then PG&E at 800-743-5002.
- Use generators safely. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
- Use flashlights, not candles. Use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire.
- Have a backup phone. Plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup to phone systems requiring electricity.
- Have fresh drinking water and ice. Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in a refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage.
- Secure outside furniture. Strong winds can blow lawn chairs and other outdoor items into powerlines.
- Turn off appliances. Unplug or turn off electrical appliances during an outage to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.
- Safely clean up. Visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
Other tips can be found at safety and preparedness, storm safety and safety action center. For more information, visit pge.com.
Information submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.