Credit: Robert Laffoon Villegas
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Second Series of Rainstorms Soak Southland

SCE has additional crews ready to respond to power outages during these latest storms that are forecast to last through Tuesday.
Contributors
Photo Credit: Robert Laffoon Villegas
Updated Feb. 4, 2019
With another series of rainstorms soaking Southern California until Tuesday, some areas saw heavy downpours of up to four inches on Saturday.

The first of the storms hit most areas by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains received as much as five inches of rain on Saturday. Recent areas affected by burn scars were warned there could possibly be some debris or mudslide conditions. A flood advisory was issued for parts of Santa Barbara County and a mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents in the Holy Fire burn area.

An SCE contract crew works on a maintenance outage in San Gabriel.
An SCE contract crew works on a maintenance outage in San Gabriel.

Southern California Edison activated additional crews to be in place in case the rainstorms, high winds and potential lightning caused power outages. The utility reminds customers to never touch or approach any downed power lines and to call 911 immediately.

“Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our customers and employees,” said Anthony Edeson, SCE director of Grid Operations. “We are closely monitoring the weather conditions and are ready to respond to outages or other issues with the power system.”

SCE reminds customers to be careful when traffic signals are not working. Remember to approach those intersections as four-way stops.

Customers can report or inquire about outages at 800-611-1911 and get the latest information using the SCE outages app at sce.com/outages. They can also stay informed by visiting sce.com/staysafe, twitter.com/sce and facebook.com/sce.

Storm Safety Tips:

  • Downed trees and mudslides may have damaged electrical lines. If you come across any downed wires, stay away and call 911.
  • Wet yards with puddles on cement or grass can carry electricity. If a line is down in your yard, remain indoors and call 911 immediately.
  • Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch that has come in contact with a power line.
  • Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Never use candles for lighting 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.