Storm topple trees, power poles, flood warnings remain in effect
–Storm systems are bringing much-needed rain to San Luis Obispo County, but are wreaking havoc in the process. High winds toppled trees and power poles, and flash flood warnings remain in effect in the areas of Cambria, San Simeon, Hearst Castle, Cayucos, and Monterey County. Many roads are closed throughout the county. Highway 1 remains closed North of Ragged Point to aid in evacuation efforts.
Since the storm started at midnight Tuesday through 4 p.m. Wednesday, about 575,000 PG&E customers in the state have lost power due to the winds, rain, and snow. Of those, 434,000 (or 75-percent) have been restored with approximately 141,000 customers still out of power. At least 10,000 homes lost power at times in North County.
The hardest-hit areas with the most remaining outages are in the Sacramento and Stockton regions as well as in Humboldt and Mendocino counties. About 16,000 customers in the Bay Area were still being affected by storm outages. Customers can find the latest information on outages on PG&E’s website.
The National Weather Service in San Francisco has issued a flood advisory for poor drainage areas for western Monterey County until 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Steady rain associated with an atmospheric river has continued to fall across the region overnight. Minor roadway and urban flooding is being reported throughout the region. Steady rain on top of saturated soils will continue through midday before slowly dissipating. Overflowing poor drainage areas will cause minor flooding in the advisory area.
Flash Flood Warning continues for Cambria CA, Cayucos CA, San Simeon CA until 4:00 AM PST pic.twitter.com/vS3WQNP71C
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 28, 2021
Jake Webb of Paso Robles stands next to the remains of a tree trunk in front of his grandparent’s Atascadero home.
In Atascadero, seven-year-old Jake Webb of Paso Robles stood next to the remains of a tree trunk in front of his grandparent’s home on Capistrano in Atascadero late Wednesday afternoon. The tree was one of several which snapped or blew over during the wind storm which buffeted Atascadero.
Two small trees blew over in front of Jamba Juice on Morro Road and El Camino Real. More reports of damage are expected as the storm continues and locals assess the aftermath.
Storm safety tips from PG&E
- Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and by calling PG&E at 1- 800-743-5002.
- Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
- Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup.
- Have fresh drinking water, ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
- Secure outdoor furniture: Deck furniture, lightweight yard structures and decorative lawn items should be secured as they can be blown by high winds and damage overhead power lines and property.
- Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
- Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent 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.
- Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 811 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
