Three Consecutive Storms Could Bring Heavy Rains, Strong Winds to Southland

With the ground still wet from recent storms, Southern Californians are preparing for another drenching with three consecutive rainstorms forecast to hit Wednesday and last through Monday.

The first of the storms will bring moderate rainfall on Wednesday night through Thursday. A heavier storm will enter the area late Thursday till Saturday and the final and strongest storm will begin Sunday and last till Monday.

Southern California Edison is deploying additional crews and support staff throughout its service territory in preparation for the upcoming storms, which could bring additional repair outages.

“The system has performed well during the recent rains and we will be closely monitoring this new round of rainstorms which could bring several inches of rain and snow,” said Jim Cherrie, SCE director of Grid Operations. “We will have our crews and staff ready to safely respond to outages and possible damage to our equipment, including downed wires and poles.”

SCE is also looking at all maintenance outages planned during the upcoming storms. Each will be looked at on a case-by-case basis and factors such as public safety and reliability needs will be considered.

SCE crews, some pictured here in a recent mutual assistance effort in Northern California, are preparing for a slew of rainstorms this week in the Southland. PHOTO CREDIT: Troy Whitman

Customers are reminded that downed trees and mudslides may have damaged electrical lines. If you come across any downed wires, stay away and call 911.

Paul Roller, SCE’s lead meteorologist, warned residents to take precautions because these storms will be dropping a lot of rain.

“Given the amount of rain in a short time, there could be flash flooding in low-lying areas, flood zones and near rivers and debris flows in the burn areas,” he said. “The third storm on Sunday could do the most damage.”

Customers may report outages at 1-800-611-1911, online or through the SCE Outages app. SCE will provide the latest information about outages at its website and on Facebook and Twitter.

Safety Tips During Rainstorms:

Wet yards with puddles on cement and grass can carry electricity. If a line is down in your yard, remain indoors and call 911 immediately.
Make sure you have a 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 significant fire hazard.
Never try to remove a broken tree limb or branch in contact with a power line. The limb or branch could be energized with electricity. Stay indoors and call 911.
When power is out, traffic signals may be out so approach those intersections as four-way stops.

Mary Ann Milbourn contributed to this piece.