As Wave of Storms Continues, PG&E Crews Work Through Severe Weather to Restore Power to Northern and Central California

PG&E continues its historic storm response effort, battling weather conditions and widespread damage to restore power to customers in Northern and Central California. 

Since the start of this historic string of storms on Dec. 30, PG&E has restored power to over 2 million customers. As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 10), approximately 108,000 customers remain without power. More than half of those outages are currently in the South Bay and Central Coast regions, which have been particularly hard hit by rain, wind, soil saturation and widespread flooding. 

An intense wind and rain event came on shore early Tuesday morning along the Central Coast, leading to significant flooding, fallen trees, mud slides, road closures, and other hazardous conditions. In some cases, these conditions are delaying crews from assessing the causes of outages and restoring power. Crews continue to work very closely with local government and emergency management agencies to address emergency situations. As conditions permit, they will be working safely and as quickly as possible to continue assessing damage and dispatching crews for repairs and power restoration. 

This is the single largest winter storm response in PG&E’s history, with more than 6,500 PG&E personnel, contractor and mutual aid partners from across North America working to restore power to customers in communities across California.  

Keeping customers informed  

Customers can view real-time outage information at PG&E’s online outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. This site has been updated to include support in 16 languages. 

PG&E has also begun publishing county-specific outage information throughout the day and is posting regular updates on its storm response at www.pgecurrents.com. 

Additionally, customers 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. 

PG&E is coordinating with its community-based partners to offer support to customers in need. PG&E partners with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers to offer support for older adults and people with disabilities through the Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program. As well, as the California Network of 2-1-1 who can connect customers to resources in their local communities. 

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 9-1-1 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. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals 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. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running.
• Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage.
• 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.  
• Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 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.