This winter's first major storm has resulted in service interruptions to more than 660,000 customers, impacted over 2,000 separate locations, and damaged 93 poles and roughly 122 miles of power lines.
"The crews have done a tremendous job to get power restored to our customers under some very difficult conditions," said Jeff Butler, senior vice president of energy delivery. "Despite these great efforts, we're not out of the woods yet as we still face high winds and additional damage. We'll continue to work diligently until every one of our customers has power restored."
To respond to the damage caused by the storm, the company has moved crews into the most heavily impacted areas. In addition to 637 local field crews, 1,100 employees, PG&E has deployed 88 crews from areas outside the impacted areas. The company has also brought in 33 contract crews to support the local restoration efforts.
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
