With strong north winds forecast throughout the Sacramento Valley on Thursday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced that its crews are gearing up to handle potential power outages.
PG&E offers residents several tips for reducing the effect of power outages:
• Have battery-operated flashlights and radios with fresh batteries ready, and listen for updates on storm conditions and power outages.
• If you have a telephone system that requires electricity, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone handset, cell phone or pager as backup.
• Avoid using candles, which pose a fire risk. If candles are used, keep them away from drapes, lampshades and small children, and don't leave them unattended.
• Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be left in the refrigerator and freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from a picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
• If you have a stand-by generator, make sure it is safely installed and inform the power company to avoid risking damage to your property or endangering utility crews. Information on safe installation of generators is available on the website at www.pge.com/generator.
• If your power goes out, unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and creating fire hazards when power is restored. Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
• Treat downed power lines as if they are "live" or energized. Keep people away from them and immediately call 911, then notify the power company.
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