PG&E
announced today that its meteorological and
operations teams in its Emergency Operations Center continue to
monitor a potentially widespread, strong and dry wind event Wednesday
morning through Thursday afternoon. The event will impact northern,
central, coastal and Bay Area counties across much of PG&E’s
service area.
In
response to this anticipated event, the National Weather Service has
issued a Fire Weather Watch for vast portions of Northern California
for midweek. The National Interagency Fire Center’s Geographic Area
Coordination Center is also forecasting significant fire potential
across Northern California beginning on Wednesday of this week.
Due
to the forecasted extreme weather conditions, PG&E is considering
proactively turning off power for safety, and implementing a Public
Safety Power Shutoff, across portions of approximately 30 northern,
central, coastal and Bay Area counties.
Portions
of counties that may be impacted include, but is not
limited to: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra
Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada,
Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz,
Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo
and Yuba.
The
main period of weather risk is early Wednesday morning through
Thursday midday. The dry, windy weather pattern is expected to reach
from the northern portions of PG&E’s service territory and down
through the Sacramento Valley before spreading into the central areas
of the state including most of the Bay Area.
PG&E
will continue to monitor weather conditions and will be providing
additional information regarding affected area this afternoon.
How
Customers Can Prepare
As
part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:
Update
their contact information at pge.com/mywildfirealerts
or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E
will use this information to alert customers through automated
calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a
Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Plan
for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or
devices that need power.
Identify
backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency
numbers.
Build
or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries,
first aid supplies and cash.
Keep
in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets.
Information and tips including a safety plan checklist are available
at pge.com/wildfiresafety.
Learn
more about wildfire risk and what to do before, during and after an
emergency to keep your family safe at PG&E’s Safety Action
Center.
While
customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected by
a Public Safety Power Shutoff event, any of PG&E’s more than 5
million electric customers could have their power shut off because
the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide
electricity across cities, counties and regions.
Generator
Safety
Backup
electric generators can be a part of any preparedness plan, but they
can also pose unique safety hazards.
It’s
important to understand how to safely operate your generator before
an emergency occurs. This means doing regular safety checks and being
sure you have enough fuel to last a few days. If you don’t
understand how to use your generator, you risk damaging your
property, endangering your life and endangering the lives of others.
Position
your generator where its exhaust can vent safely to prevent carbon
monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal. Never run a portable
generator in the garage or in the rain, and never store generator
fuel in the house.
Additional
tips on the safe use of generators can be found at PG&E’s
Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com
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