Update: PG&E’s Advice About Downed Power Lines

Photo courtesy of Anaiah Kirk

Update at 3:30 p.m.: PG&E crews are making great strides in turning the lights back on for those in the Mother Lode that have been without electricity since Tuesday’s windstorm blew through. Utility spokesperson Megan McFarland tells Clarke Broadcasting the main outage in Tuolumne County continues to be in the Mi Wuk Village area along Highway 108 with seven total outages involving 891 customers. The estimated repair time is around 9 p.m.  In Calaveras County, 584 customers along the Highway 4 corridor in the Dorrington area remain without power. The estimated restoration time is midnight.

Original post at 9:30 a.m. written by BJ Hansen: Sonora, CA — A vast majority of the PG&E customers around Twain Harte and some other areas now have power restored, but there is still a widespread outage around Mi Wuk Village as officials work to repair damaged equipment.

There were also additional downed power lines, and a related outage, discovered in Soulsbyville this morning, which caused the closure of Soulsbyville Elementary today.  

With snow projected for the high country over the coming days, PG&E is putting out a warning related to downed power lines.

Never touch downed wires:

1.    If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

If your vehicle encounters a downed power line:

2.    Stay inside! The safest place is in your car. The ground around your car may be energized.

3.    Honk the horn, roll down your window and yell for help.

4.    Warn others to stay away. Anyone who touches the equipment or ground around the vehicle may be injured.

5.    Use your mobile phone to call 911.

6.    Fire department, police and PG&E workers will tell you when it is safe to get out of the vehicle.