PG&E ready with dozens of crews on standby as storm pushes through the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- PG&E will have crews ready to dispatch out to affected areas in anticipation of this week's series of storms that are expected to sweep through the Central Valley.

"We also have a meteorology department that has advanced technology that's able to pinpoint storms and see what areas will have more impact. And that way we can position crews to respond in a safe and efficient manner if there are outages or any other issues," said Evelyn Escalera, PG&E.

The unpredictability of the combination of rain and wind can have effects on PG&E's system. While the energy company does not predict any major outages this week here in the Central Valley-- they do anticipate it will get busy and they want residents to be ready.

"We always urge customers to be prepared when there is rain and wind that cause outages, just to make sure they have the necessary items in case there is an outage," said Escalera.

The light rain Wednesday did not seem to affect construction around town-- including on East Herndon Avenue where a new CVS Pharmacy is being built.

It also did not bother Mike Herman and Nancy Talley. They were some of the only visitors to Woodward Park on Wednesday and said the weather is perfect to head outside for a run.

"Right now the gyms are too full. There are beginning of the year newbies out there. Every treadmill is packed, every stair stepper is packed, and out here today there's not a single soul out here so running is optimal," said Herman.

"The rain's coming it's good for Fresno," said Talley.

PG&E also has vegetation crews that have already trimmed trees to get rid of any heavy branches or branches near power lines to help prevent any outages.