Due to severe wind concerns, PG&E has notified 209,000 customers in 15 counties they may have to proactively turn off power for safety reasons in Northern California beginning late Wednesday evening. The PG&E website has been down, but when working updated information can be found here – http://pge.com/pspsupdates.
The list of affected communities:
AMADOR (13,131 customers)
Amador City, Fiddletown, Jackson, Martell, Pine Grove, Pioneer, Plymouth, River Pines, Sutter Creek, Volcano
BUTTE (23,452 customers)
Bangor, Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Butte Meadows, Butte Valley, Chico, Clipper Mills, Cohasset, Feather Falls, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Hurleton, Magalia, Oroville, Palermo, Paradise, Paradise Pines, Rackerby, Stirling City, Yankee Hill
CALAVERAS (14,586 customers)
Angels Camp, Arnold, Avery, Camp Connell, Dorrington, Douglas Flat, Glencoe, Hathaway Pines, Mokelumne Hill, Mountain Ranch, Murphys, Rail Road Flat, San Andreas, Sheep Ranch, Vallecito, Valley Springs, West Point, White Pines, Wilseyville
EL DORADO (39,786 customers)
Aukum, Cameron Park, Canyon, Camino, Coloma, Cool, Diamond Springs, El Dorado, Fair Play, Garden Valley, Georgetown, Greenwood, Grizzly Flats, Kelsey, Kyburz, Lotus, Mount Aukum, Omo Ranch, Pacific House, Pilot Hill, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Rescue, Shingle Springs, Silver Fork, Somerset, Twin Bridges
LAKE (1,895 customers)
Cobb, Kelseyville, Loch Lomond, Middletown, Upper Lake
MENDOCINO (862 customers)
Fort Bragg, Hopland, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Ukiah, Yorkville
NAPA (9,623 customers)
Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Lake Berryessa, Napa, Oakville, Pope Valley, Rutherford, St Helena, Yountville
NEVADA (37,098 customers)
Chicago Park, Grass Valley, Nevada City, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough And Ready, Soda Springs, Washington
PLACER (18,773 customers)
Alta, Applegate, Auburn, Baxter, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Emigrant Gap, Foresthill, Gold Run, Lincoln, Loomis, Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Rocklin, Sheridan, Weimar, Christian Valley
PLUMAS (785 customers)
Belden, Bucks Lake, La Porte, Quincy, Storrie, Tobin, Twain
SAN MATEO (6,462 customers)
Emerald Hills, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Loma Mar, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Rackerby, Redwood City, San Gregorio, Woodside
SIERRA (1,160 customers)
Alleghany, Downieville, Goodyears Bar, Pike, Sierra City
SONOMA (33,613 customers)
Annapolis, Boyes Hot Springs, Cloverdale, Fulton, Geyserville, Glen Ellen, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Kenwood, Larkfield, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Windsor
SUTTER (229 customers)
Pleasant Grove, Rio Oso
YUBA (7,474 customers)
Browns Valley, Brownsville, Camptonville, Challenge, Dobbins, Loma Rica, Marysville, Oregon House, Smartsville, Strawberry Valley, Wheatland
According to the National Weather Service, a Fire Weather Watch from late Tuesday night through Thursday afternoon. A weather system digging into the Great Basin region will create gusty north to east winds over portions of interior Northern
California Wednesday and Thursday. Daytime minimum relative humidity values will be very low along with extremely poor overnight recoveries Wednesday night. These will lead to critical fire weather conditions for the northern Coastal Range and foothills, the Sacramento Valley, portions of the northern San Joaquin Valley, and the Northern Sierra Nevada and foothills below 7000 feet.
Caltrans is preparing for widespread power outages as well. They remind motorists that non-working (dark) and flashing red traffic signals be treated as all-way stops during power outages. Drivers should proceed with caution through intersections and observe right-of-way rules.
Throughout District 3, traffic signals contain battery backups, which typically last 3 to 4 hours before becoming non-operational. Additional measures may be implemented at signals during power outages including generators or stop signs. However, motorists should be prepared for all-way stops at non-lighted signals during power outages.