MENDOCINO CO., 11/4/25 – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is encouraging customers throughout Mendocino County to prepare for the atmospheric river that began impacting the area Tuesday morning.
“We are seeing some wet and windy weather hitting the North Bay and North Coast starting Tuesday evening, with the greatest impact throughout Wednesday,” said Megan McFarland, a PG&E spokesperson. “We’ve had a few storms this season, but this is one of the more significant ones — the incoming adverse weather could result in trees, limbs and other debris falling into power lines, damaging equipment and interrupting electric service.”
McFarland said PG&E is using storm-outage prediction models to help determine the timing and location of possible power outages.
“If there are outages, poised to respond are PG&E electric crews, trouble workers, distribution line technicians and system inspectors who serve as the utility’s first responders, along with personnel who will monitor electric incidents for public safety,” she said.
PG&E offers the following tips to prepare for and stay safe during storms:
- Update your contact information: Got to PGE.com to update your contact information. This way, if you do lose power, PG&E can contact you with updates.
- Keep a battery-operated flashlight and radio within easy reach. Ensure those items are always accessible and that your batteries are fresh. Listen for updates on storm conditions and power outages.
- Know where to go for outage information: Customers can get updates on outages in their neighborhood through a variety of channels.
- Access our Electric Outage Map online at pge.com/outages
- Contact our outage information line at 1-800-743-5002
- Customers can also log-in to their account through pge.com and sign up to receive proactive outage alerts through email, text or phone.
- Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on powerlines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
- Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
- Never touch downed wires: 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 9-1-1 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
- Visit www.pge.com/stormsafety for preparedness tips.