With rain showers expected to continue through Thursday and a Flash Flood Watch in effect, we have fully staffed our operation centers to ensure there are enough boots on the ground to respond to outages quickly and safely.
Widespread 1-2 inches of rain has already fallen across much of our region since yesterday. Periods of showers, some heavy, will continue through Thursday.
The Flash Flood Watch issued by the National Weather Service for San Diego County covers coastal areas, mountains, and valleys, as well as the cities of Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Chula Vista, National City, San Diego, Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee and Poway. The Flood Watch is in effect through tonight.
Our team of meteorologists have been closely monitoring this storm system for days and will continue to provide comprehensive weather reports to our field crews, public safety partners and the public, so we can all be prepared for what’s coming.
During conditions like this, there is usually an increased number of cars hitting power poles or transformers which can cause outages. Please drive safely in rainy conditions.
SDG&E Preparations Ahead of Storms
Some storm-related outages are unavoidable, but we're taking a number of precautions to try to minimize these incidents. SDG&E has proactively prepared for the rainstorms by:
* Increasing inventory of certain supplies at operations centers, such as fuses, power poles, sandbags and plastic sheeting.
* In addition, each operation center has floodwater removal equipment (such as pumping trucks) on hand to help remove water from underground facilities, if needed.
Forecasting the Weather to Keep You Safe
Using sophisticated weather tools, our meteorologists are forecasting the following:
Timing: Showers increasing in coverage and intensity through today, then slowly decreasing through Thursday.
Rainfall: 1 to 4 inches of rain in southeastern two-thirds of our region; 0.25 to 1 inch of rain in the northwestern third.
Lightning: Occasional lightning across the region.
Coastal Winds: Breezy around midday with gusts to 30 mph.
Mountain Winds: 50-60 mph gusts on mountain ridges and desert slopes today.
Temperatures: Highs ranging from the 60s along the coast to the 40s in the mountains.
To check out near real-time weather conditions in your community, visit sdgeweather.com, which provides wind, temperature and humidity updates from our network of 190 weather stations every ten minutes.
Safety Tips
Stay safe and protect yourself and your loved ones with the following tips:
* If you see a downed power line, call 911 and SDG&E immediately at 800-611-SDGE (7343). Always assume that power lines are energized and do not touch them.
* Take extra precautions by staking unsteady trees to the ground, because they can fall over if the ground is oversaturated with water. If a branch or tree falls on a power line, do not try to remove it. Call SDG&E immediately to report the situation.
* Don’t rely on candles during a power outage as they post a significant fire hazard. Instead, use a flashlight. Also, unplug any large appliances and sensitive equipment in the event of a power outage. This is will help to eliminate potential damage from voltage surges when electricity is restored
For the latest information on power outages and estimated restoration times, visit sdge.com/outage-center.