SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists are forecasting
that the next series of winter storms will impact Northern and Central
California today through Monday.
The first storm that arrives today isn’t expected to produce significant
rain although conditions will be breezy along the North Coast and the
Sacramento Valley. The Sunday storm is expected to be stronger, bringing
heavy rain at times across much of the PG&E service area. Breezy to
gusty Southerly winds will last from early Sunday to early Monday along
the North Coast and the Sacramento Valley, with strongest winds
anticipated Sunday afternoon and evening.
"December continues to be a rainy month for much of California, and that
precipitation is much needed," said PG&E meteorologist Mike Voss. "We
want to remind our customers to be weather aware, to drive safely and to
prepare for outages, in case they occur."
PG&E’s
meteorology team has developed a Storm Outage Prediction Model that
incorporates real-time weather forecasts, historic data and system
knowledge to accurately show where and when storm impacts will be most
severe. This model enables the company to pre-stage crews and equipment
as storms approach to enable rapid response to outages.
Safety reminders
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If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely
dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep yourself and others
away. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911
immediately and then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
-
If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If
you must get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate
life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and
land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the
car when your feet touch the ground.
-
During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not
candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, keep them
away from drapes, lampshades and small children. Do not leave candles
unattended.
-
Don't use grills or other outdoor appliances or equipment indoors for
space heating or cooking, as these devices may emit carbon monoxide.
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Customers with generators should make sure they are properly installed
by a licensed electrician. Improperly installed generators pose a
significant danger to crews working on power lines. Operate your
generator outside. Never operate it inside a building or garage.
-
If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical
appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards
when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you
when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when
conditions return to normal.
-
Check and restock your emergency kits with flashlights, batteries,
bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc. Also, ensure a
portable, battery-operated radio, TV or NOAA radio is on hand.
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If you are driving and encounter emergency vehicles with activated
lights and sirens, remember to move over as it's the law in California.
Outage information
For more information about outages and ways to prepare and stay safe
during the storm, please visit www.pge.com/stormsafety.
If outages occur, customers can find details and information on
restoration by:
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Clicking onto www.pge.com/outages
and signing up for outage alerts via text, email or phone
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Following PG&E on social media for updates
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Calling PG&E’s outage information line at 1-800-743-5002.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and pge.com/news.
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Media Relations
415-973-5930
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company