As winter storms impact much of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s service area this week, the company reports it has positioned crews and resources across its service area to support a safe and swift response to restore any storm-related damage and restore power that may result from the forecasted heavy rain and strong winds.
PG&E’s in-house meteorologists forecast that the storm, which arrived Feb. 3, will deliver several inches of rain and heavy snow above 6,000 feet in elevation. After a brief pause Wednesday, a second storm will arrive Thursday and is expected to deliver wind, rain and high-elevation snow through Friday.
The National Weather Service has issued advisories, watches and warnings throughout portions of PG&E’s service area; these can be viewed on the PG&E weather map.
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, PG&E’s meteorology team has developed a storm outage prediction model that incorporates real-time weather forecasts, historical data and system knowledge to predict where and when storm impacts will be most severe. This model enables the company to prestage crews, power poles, powerlines, transformers and other electric equipment across PG&E’s service area as storms approach to enable rapid response to outages.
“The safety of our hometowns remains our absolute most important responsibility,” said Peter Kenny, PG&E senior vice president, electric operations. “We know that storm-related outages can be disruptive for our customers, so to support the safe and quick response to any outages that may occur, we have crews and resources prepositioned.”
PG&E is urging its customers to take the necessary steps to be prepared and stay safe throughout the winter. If an outage does occur, PG&E customers can find real-time updates via the online outage center, which includes status updates to the assessments, repair and estimated time of restoration. Renters and others without a PG&E account may also use this portal to sign up for outage notifications by text, email or phone. Daily updates around storm response and restoration will be available via PG&E Currents.
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: Those who see a downed power line should assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it — and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
- Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on powerlines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
- Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. Those who must use candles should keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
- Have a backup phone: Those with a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, should plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep cell phones running.
- Have fresh drinking water and ice: Residents can 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: Those who experience an outage should unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Customers can simply leave a single lamp on to alert them to the return of power.
- Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 811 or 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.
Information provided by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
