An unusual late winter storm is moving through Southern California this week bringing the potential for what the National Weather Service calls “significant and unseasonable precipitation.”
Mountain areas above 5,000 feet are expected to get several feet of snow through Tuesday, while coastal and valley communities are forecast to get up to 2 inches of rain. As much as 3 inches of rain could fall in the foothills and lower mountain elevations.
Thunderstorms with heavy downfall are also possible as well as localized flooding and possible debris flows. Rain is expected to continue through Thursday.
Customers may see Southern California Edison crews pre-positioned in mountain communities and other areas where higher amounts of snow and rain are forecast so they are ready to do any critical work needed to repair outages or equipment damage as quickly and safely as possible.
Safety is SCE’s No. 1 priority. Winter weather can cause power lines to fall. Downed wires can electrify puddles, wet grass and the surrounding area. Never touch or step in water near a downed wire, because it can be electrified. If you see a downed wire, call 911 and tell the operator it’s an electrical emergency.
Customers can report or inquire about outages at 800-611-1911 and get the latest outage information at sce.com/outages. Updates are also available at twitter.com/sce and facebook.com/sce.
Here are some additional winter storm safety tips:
- Beware during flooding. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down and two feet can sweep your vehicle away.
- Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch that has come in contact with a power line.
- Make sure you have battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage. Do not use candles because they pose a fire hazard.
- 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 to repair crews.
- Don’t leave your space heater unattended and unplug it when not in use. Consider getting a space heater that has an automatic shut-off.
- When power is out, traffic signals may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
For more safety tips, visit: sce.com/safety.
