Much like Christmas week, going into the new year promises to be a rainy ride. Those with outdoor plans may want to consider moving the celebration inside.
While there could be a chance of showers Tuesday night for portions of Southern California Edison’s service area, the heavier and steadier rain is likely Wednesday — New Year’s Eve.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for most of SCE’s service area, which will last through Thursday. Rainfall totals may reach up to 2.5 inches at lower elevations to 5 inches across the foothills and mountains.
SCE crews are available and on call if needed for any emergent issues. They will respond safely and as quickly as possible to restore power if any weather-related outages occur.
SCE reminds customers to be mindful of rainy-day hazards and remember, never approach or touch anyone or anything in contact with a downed power line — stay 100 ft. away and call 911 immediately.Here are some additional safety tips:
· Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch that has come in contact with a power line.
· Sign up for your community’s warning system and SCE alerts.
· Install surge protectors to help safeguard valuable electronic equipment, such as computers and home entertainment systems.
· If you have an automatic garage door or gate, learn to open it manually (without power).
· Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh.
· If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using heavy-duty extension cords. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates backfeed, which is dangerous for repair crews.
· Make a safety preparedness plan for your family that includes a list and location of emergency items such as water bottles, flashlights, first aid kits, extra blankets, etc.
To check on the status of an outage or to report an outage, visit sce.com/outagemap.
