PG&E Continues Tracking Mid-Week Strong Offshore Wind Event
November 18 2019 - 1:14AM
Business Wire
May Need to Proactively Turn Off Power for
Safety for Approximately 250,000 Customers in Portions of 19
Counties in Sierra Foothills, North Valley and North Bay
Customers Potentially Affected Will Receive
Notifications from PG&E on Monday Morning
Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Emergency
Operations Center continues to monitor a strong offshore wind event
expected to begin early Wednesday morning (Nov. 20) and last
through Thursday morning. To reduce the risk of wildfire in these
conditions, PG&E may turn off power to approximately 250,000
customers in portions of 19 counties in the Sierra Foothills, North
Valley and North Bay. Other parts of the Bay Area are not expected
to be included in a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
The weather forecasts continue to be dynamic, so the extent of
wind and PSPS impacts may change. No decision has been made about
calling a PSPS at this time.
As of tonight, portions of the following counties could be
affected if PG&E moves forward with a PSPS: Butte, Colusa, El
Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas,
Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and
Yuba.
PG&E plans to notify potentially affected customers
beginning Monday morning (Nov. 18)—about 48 hours before a
potential shutoff—by phone, text and email. PG&E is working
closely with state, county, local and tribal partners to prepare
for the potential PSPS.
Weather Information
- PG&E meteorologists currently anticipate a wide area of
high winds, including sustained winds of up to 25 mph, gusts in the
30-50 mph range and peak gusts above 55 mph.
- Fire Weather Watches have been issued in PG&E’s service
area.
- Vegetation is extremely dry:
- Average precipitation in the Northern Sierra by this point in
November is typically 5 inches; this year, that region has received
0.3 inches of precipitation.
- Temperatures in PG&E’s service territory are 5-15 degrees
above average for this time of year.
- The recent series of extreme wind events have also contributed
to dry conditions, as wind has a drying effect on vegetation.
Customer Notifications
- When possible, the company notifies potentially impacted
customers at 48 hours, 24 hours and again just prior to a power
shutoff—for those customers who have provided their contact
information to PG&E.
- Customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program
who do not verify that they have received these important safety
communications will be individually visited by a PG&E employee
with a knock on their door when possible. A primary focus will be
given to those customers who rely on electricity for critical
life-sustaining equipment.
How to Stay Informed
- Starting Monday, customers can look up whether their address
could be affected at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
- For the latest weather information, including the PSPS 7-Day
forecast, visit www.pge.com/weather.
- For general information about how a Public Safety Power Shutoff
works, visit www.pge.com/psps.
- PG&E will provide frequent updates on its Twitter and
Facebook accounts, as well as through Nextdoor.
- PG&E will provide frequent updates to news media.
How to Prepare for a PSPS
As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking
customers to:
- 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.
- 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.
PSPS Criteria
No single factor drives a Public Safety Power Shutoff, as each
situation is unique. PG&E carefully reviews a combination of
many criteria when determining if power should be turned off for
safety. These factors generally include, but are not limited
to:
- A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather
Service
- Low humidity levels, generally 20 percent and below
- Forecasted sustained winds generally above 25 mph and wind
gusts in excess of approximately 45 mph, depending on location and
site-specific conditions such as temperature, terrain and local
climate
- Condition of dry fuel on the ground and live vegetation
(moisture content)
- On-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E’s Wildfire
Safety Operations Center and observations from PG&E field
crews
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.
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