SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The first storm series of 2019 is set to hit PG&E’s service territory
this weekend and PG&E is urging its customers to take the necessary
steps to be prepared and stay safe.
PG&E meteorologists forecast gusty winds, widespread rain and heavy
mountain snow on Saturday, lasting through early next week. The weather
pattern will begin to change late Friday with clouds and southerly
winds, and the most significant weather impacts are expected to begin
Saturday morning. A trailing system could continue the wet and windy
weather late Sunday into Monday and Tuesday.
“We’re seeing a significant weather event headed toward our service
territory and we encourage our customers to be prepared and have a plan.
Our meteorology team is closely tracking the weather and working with
our team in the field to ensure we’re ready to restore outages safely
and as quickly as possible,” said PG&E meteorologist Mike Voss.
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.
Storm Safety Tips:
-
Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, 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 by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
-
Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use
battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of
fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes,
lampshades and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
-
Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires
electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine,
plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup.
-
Have fresh drinking water, ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with
water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your
refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling.
Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
-
Secure outdoor furniture: Deck furniture, lightweight yard structures
and decorative lawn items should be secured as they can be blown by
high winds and damage overhead power lines and property.
-
Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators
should make sure 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 power
lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a
well-ventilated area.
-
Turn off appliances: 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.
-
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 pge.com/beprepared
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 utilities 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 www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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Media Relations
415-973-5930
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company