Winter Storms Forecast to Barrel Through Southland

SCE crews are ready and preparing for the cold, heavy storms that could cause power outages.

Cold, winter rainstorms are forecast to bring heavy downpours and low temperatures to Southern California during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura county mountains starting late Tuesday through Thursday night.

A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect for San Bernardino and Riverside county valleys, the Inland Empire, Santa Ana Mountains and foothills and Orange County coastal and inland areas from late Tuesday through Thursday evening.

In preparation for the heavy winter rainstorms, Southern California Edison has extra crews ready to respond to any additional power outages or damage to equipment that results from the storms and possible debris flows.

“Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our customers, employees and communities,” said Adebola Ayorinde, SCE director, Northwest Distribution Construction & Maintenance. “We want to remind our customers that heavy rainstorms can sometimes result in downed power lines. Stay away and call 911 immediately.”

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.

An SCE crew makes repairs during a recent rainstorm.

Here are some additional winter storm safety tips:

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, as it can be electrified. If you see a downed wire, call 911. Inform the operator it’s an electrical emergency.
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 so approach those intersections as four-way stops.

For more safety tips, visit: sce.com/safety.