PG&E sets up base camp in San Lorenzo Valley ahead of storm

Jan. 26—SANTA CRUZ — By now it's no secret that high winds and heavy rains are in the forest for the Santa Cruz Mountains this week.

Pacific Gas & Electric is prepared for the storm to knockout power in the San Lorenzo Valley and is setting up a base camp at the Graham Hill horse ground. The base camp will be used to stage restoration crews and equipment so they can get to power outages quicker and easier.

"A base camp is like a remote work yard for crews," said PG&E Spokeswoman Mayra Tostado in an email. "Instead of having them report to a work yard at one of PG&E's field locations, they would report to the base camp where they are assigned restoration jobs."

The utility provider usually sets up these base camps in remote locations in order to make impacted areas in the Santa Cruz Mountains more accessible to restoration crews, according to Tostado. Typically, power restoration crews have a hard time getting to remote locations due to road closures or downed trees.

"As a result, having a remote location, in addition to the yard, allows us to overcome some of the challenges to make restoration work more efficient," Tostado said.

Santa Cruz County is expected to experience gale-force winds in the mountains this week, as wind speeds are predicted to reach near 70 mph, according to PG&E meteorologists. Lower elevation parts of the county are expected to experience less intense winds.

PG&E urges people to be prepared for outages due to the weather and have a plan in place. The utility company provided a list of "Storm Safety Tips" in the event of a power outage.

If anyone ever comes across a downed power line, they should assume the wire is still live. Keep children, animals and away from the wire and don't touch or move it. Instead, report the power line immediately to 9-1-1 or PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

They advised people to practice safe use of generators. Any emergency-use generator should be used in a well-ventilated area. They also suggest that the generator be installed by an electrician, as improperly installed generators can pose a danger to users and restoration crews.

They also suggest that all outdoor furniture be secured. High winds can throw the furniture around and create further damage to powerlines. They also recommend using flashlights instead of candles if possible. Candles can pose a greater fire risk during an outage. If a candle is the only option, keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.

Residents should also have a backup phone. Phones that require electricity to work will no longer function during a power outage. A charged cordless phone or cellphone is the recommended alternative.

Lastly, PG&E recommends that residents stock up drinking water and ice. They suggest freezing plastic food containers full of water to create ice blocks that can used to keep refrigerated food cold during and outage.

With a series of winter storms on tap this week, PG&E urges customers to stay safe, be prepared and have an emergency plan. PG&E is monitoring the weather, pre-positioning crews and resources ahead of the storms https://t.co/lEu7vg0pq8 #atmosphericriver #cawx pic.twitter.com/jJWL8q1Pmf

— Pacific Gas & Electric (@PGE4Me) January 25, 2021

PG&E only reported one major outage on Monday. As of the Sentinel's print deadline at 4 p.m., 378 people in the Boulder Creek area were still without power. A tree fell on a power line, breaking the utility pole, near Bear Creek Road at 9:43 a.m. The utility provider expects power to be fully restored by 6 p.m.

For the most up to date information about power outages in the county, visit pge.com/outagemap.

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