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Rain Forecast; PG&E Prepares For Outages

The utility has put people on call in case this storm's rain and wind knocks out electricity but blackouts have been relatively few. Local airports are facing delays.

 

Updated 2:30 pm

Rain is expected to return this morning, and you can expect to see it for at least two more days.

The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and strong winds Friday morning with rain continuing all day.

More rain and wind is expected Saturday with showers on Sunday.

That's a weather combination that worries Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Jason King, a PG&E spokesman, said the utility has beefed up its staffing for Friday and has people on call in case the latest storm knocks out electricity.

King said PG&E also has set up a communications command center so it can dispatch people to whatever areas need them the most.

"We want to have everything under one roof so we can respond quickly and efficiently," he said.

As of 2:30 pm Friday outages were relatively few:

  1. Two different outages affected 27 customers in El Cerrito
  2. 8 customers were powerless in Lafayette
  3. 6 customers were blacked out in Martinez
  4. Oakland had three and Concord two cutomers without power
  5. Fremont, Berkeley and Richmond each had one powerless customer.

King said said residents can get the latest information on outages on the utilty's website. They can also call 1-800-743-5000.

He said residents should have plenty of batteries on hand in case outages are lengthy. He also cautioned people to be careful with candles to make sure they don't catch curtains or other materials on fire.

King added that if you see a downed power line, assume it is live and stay away from it. Call 9-1-1 and let them know the location.

Weather affecting SFO more than Oakland Airport

At San Francisco International Airport, 25 arrivals and 25 departures were canceled this morning. Other flights are seeing delays of up to 90 minutes. Flights to midwest and East Coast airports are affected, with longer delays for flights arriving at Newark International Airport.

An estimated 130,000 passengers are expected to pass through SFO today.

Oakland International Airport had no cancellations, according to airport operations staff.

According to the National Weather Service, rain is moving south from the North Bay this morning and will continue to fall through Sunday, making for a soggy weekend throughout the Bay Area.

ElectraDaddy December 21, 2012 at 01:07 pm
We lost our power at 2:30am in two bright blue explosions. For a brief moment I thought, "Guess those Mayans were right." No. It was just a downed power line which set a tree on fire, but didn't set a tree on fire. It was sparking because of the line, but the tree never seemed to fully ignite.
PG&E recording says the outage will be an extended one because it doesn't have access to its equipment, whatever that means. This is why I lurve my emergency generator.
Californicated1 December 21, 2012 at 01:39 pm
And the next time a natural gas pipeline ruptures, will PG&E be prepared for the outrages?
Californicated1 December 21, 2012 at 01:41 pm
PG&E probably lent equipment and personnel out to New York and New Jersey to repair what Hurricane Sandy took out, so it may take them some time to recall their assets back here if and when we need them.
ElectraDaddy December 21, 2012 at 02:32 pm
Thankfully, my generator will also run off propane. So, if I lose power & natural gas, I'm still set. The zombie apoc preps come in handy.
Jed December 21, 2012 at 02:46 pm
We've had storms before. PG&E is always ready to deal with storms - just not as quick to respond as some of their customers may like (demanding people that they are). If your power goes out - call PG&E to report it (they'll hound you with phony recorded calls telling of their non-progress), then tough it out. Refrigerators & freezers are generally good for 24 hours if you KEEP THE DOOR SHUT! BE VERY CAREFUL if you use candle or other open flames - don't burn your freakin' house down - ESPECIALLY at Christmas! If you have an all electric house - you're screwed (if the outage lasts a day or two)... pack up and go someplace warm. While you're out - buy a portable generator so you can at least have lights to read about how PG&E wants to raise rates to pay for THEIR mistakes.
ElectraDaddy December 21, 2012 at 02:55 pm
PG&E is here now. Yay!!
Tom Abate (Editor) December 21, 2012 at 03:45 pm
Let's hope this continues to be a mild storm
Californicated1 December 21, 2012 at 04:20 pm
Sounds like Mr. Abate's a little worried about what would happen if the power went out and stayed out for a lengthy period of time.
It may be a healthy fear, perhaps, but from what I have seen, about the only time electricity has been down for a lengthy period of time is when PG&E had to do work with their mains out there in the streets or if there was the kind of disaster like the San Bruno pipeline rupture in September 2010. Those instances are actually rare when one compares them to the "up-time" that the power stays on and we take it for granted. Out here in Livermore, we probably have more to fear in July, when there is a spike in excessively hot temperatures like in 2006 where there were a couple of weeks were we had temps in the 110-120 degree range and some transformers blew because they weren't built for those kinds of temperatures like they have in Las Vegas or Phoenix. But the outages were more like 2 to 2-1/2 hours at most, not days like the folks on the east coast had to deal with when Sandy came ashore. As much as I malign PG&E, considering that they do what they are supposed to do most of the time--provide me and the other ratepayers electricity--they aren't that different from any other electricity provider out there. But when the power goes out, or another Camptonville catches fire, or another pipeline ruptures like Citrus Heights or San Bruno, I'm out there criticizing and castigating PG&E, too. And don't get me started about Hinkley!
David December 22, 2012 at 12:35 am
I used to live in central Berkeley. El nino in 1997 knocked out the power to *ONE* side of our street, our side. THREE days later, they hooked up the electricity. It's not like we were up in the hills, or in the middle of nowhere.
PGE runs quite possibly the least reliable utility company in a densely populated region of the USA. I get more reliable power in Mexico.
David December 22, 2012 at 12:39 am
Oh I'm sorry, it's only in the bottom 5.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jd-power-and-associates-reports-on-the-heels-of-powerful-storms-customer-satisfaction-with-electric-utility-companies-declines-for-second-consecutive-year-162044715.html

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