In anticipation of this week's storms, some street crews have been pulled from their regular duties and are now focused on the clearing efforts.
PG&E is also preparing for the upcoming storms by putting additional crews on standby. "If you've got this much rain and wind coming you're going to see tree branches falling onto power lines, occasionally you'll see cars hit power poles, but the impact from trees is going to be the biggest threat," said spokesperson Denny Boyles. Boyles is also once again reminding residents to have flashlights nearby and have cell phones charges in case of outages.
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California prepares for series of storms
Cities and counties in the Valley and across the state are getting ready for the fall storm.
This weather maker could bring lots of rain and that could in turn cause flooded streets and even mudslides in some areas.
People living in Northern California are getting ready for some potentially nasty weather heading their way. City crews in Sacramento have been out cleaning up the fall leaves so that they don't pile up near storm drains, clogging storm drains, which can create flooding issues.
"It's important cause we certainly want to keep the streets safe and drivable, that's always the goal and it's something that we are always concerned about when there's a big storm coming," said Erin Treadwell, Solid Waste and Recycling Division in Sacramento.
In Plumas County, city and county workers are clearing out trees and branches from an area that was burned last summer. Residents there are concerned heavy rains could turn the burnt soil into a mudslide.
The Valley is in for some rain and strong winds. There are several things to help keep you safe ahead of the storm.
- Have battery-operated flashlights and radios ready in case the power goes out.
- Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice. That way, if your refrigerator or freezer goes out - you can still keep your food cold.
- Treat all downed power lines as if they are live. Don't take a risk, call 911.
- If power is out, unplug appliances to avoid overloading circuits when the power returns.
The rain should begin falling Wednesday and continue through Sunday.
