OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 1: A Pacific Gas & Electric lineman redirects traffic while responding to a tree branch that struck and downed a wire, leaving several Eastmont Hills residents without electricity in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. (Dylan Bouscher/Bay Area News Group)
FREMONT — Northern California utility PG&E had about 1,800 of its personnel ready Wednesday to deal with a monster winter storm that was threatening to be among the worst in Bay Area history.
The storm, which already had brought emergency proclamations and hazard warnings for flooding and miserable winds throughout the region, was expected to be at its heaviest from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday.
At 8 a.m., 632 Bay Area customers were without power, according to the utility. Of those, 225 were in the East Bay, 144 were it the South Bay, 125 were in San Francisco and 57 were in the Peninsula. Pacific Gas & Electric said it expected those numbers to rise.
The utility was scheduled to the discuss the storm and its preparations for it more at an 11 a.m. press conference at one of it “material distribution centers” in Fremont.
According to PG&E, 800 personnel will monitor electric incidents, while 360 four-person electrical crews and 397 trouble-men — distribution line technicians, system inspectors and first responders from the utility — also were in place to stem any damage caused by the elements.
About 250 vegetation-management personnel also were ready to deal with fallen trees and branches that interfere with power lines. Sixteen crews from Southern California Edison will provide aid as well, the utility said.
The utility said it restored power to approximately 500,000 Bay Area residents who lost service during a previous storm Dec. 31.
Please check back for updates.
Originally published at Rick Hurd