SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nearly all PG&E customers' power has been restored following on-going severe windstorms that whipped through California causing outages to over 697,000 customers. With 99% of affected homes and businesses now in service, PG&E crews are wrapping up efforts in northern California's remote areas.
This winter's first major storm caused extensive damage in over 2,200 separate locations, and damaged 121 poles and roughly 181 miles of power lines. High winds and debris have made power restoration efforts challenging for crews in affected areas primarily along the northern and central coasts.
"We appreciate our customers' patience as our crews continue to work around the clock to safely restore power to our remaining customers in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Santa Cruz counties," said Jeff Butler, senior vice president of energy delivery. "Our PG&E team will remain focused on restoring service to ensure the last of the impacted customers are back online as soon as possible."
Below are tips for customers weathering the current winter storm:
-- Treat all downed power lines as if they are "live" or energized. Keep
yourself and others away from them, immediately call 911, then notify
PG&E at (800) 743-5000.
-- Unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading
circuits and 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.
-- Ensure that all alternate heat sources meet safety requirements and are
approved for indoor use.
-- Because high winds are expected to continue, you could still experience
an outage. So have battery-operated flashlights and radios with fresh
batteries ready, just in case.
For more information about PG&E, including storm-related information, please visit our web site, http://www.pge.com/.
