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San Francisco Bay Area resident are quietly anticipating a snow storm (on the sea level) this weekend.  If not, an extremely cold and wet weekend.

With yet another storm system approaching Northern California, PG&E offers these tips to customers to help them stay safe during a power outage.

PG&E Storm Safety Tips

Call 911 for Downed Lines
Your safety is our first concern. If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and keep yourself and others away. Call 911 immediately to report the location of the downed line then 1-800-743-5002, PG&E's 24-Hour Emergency and Customer Service Line. During and after a storm, please keep away from flooded areas and downed trees, as these areas could be hiding an energized power line.

Preparing for Power Outages
Have battery-operated flashlights and radios with fresh batteries ready. Listen for updates on storm conditions and power outages.

If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work (such as a cordless phone or answering machine), plan for alternate communication - have a standard telephone handset, cellular telephone or pager ready as a back up.

Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling.

Safety Tips
Treat all downed power lines as if they are "live" or energized. Keep yourself and others away from them. Call 911, then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

Use battery-operated flashlights, not candles.
Customers with generator should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to our crews.

Unplug or turn off all electric appliances to avoid overloading circuits and fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

Report a Power Outage: 1-800-743-5002
Before calling PG&E about a power outage, check to see if other neighbors are affected. This would confirm if an outage has occurred in just your residence or within the neighborhood area.

If only your residence is without power, check circuit breakers and/or fuse boxes to see if the problem is limited to the home electric system.

After performing the steps above, single or neighborhood outages can be reported to: PG&E's 24-Hour Emergency and Customer Service Line: 1-800-743-5002

Once your outage has been reported, you can call PG&E's Outage Information Line at 1-800-743-5002 to get a status report on your outage and the anticipated time your power will be turned back on.

If you lose power overnight, you can call PG&E to request a wake-up call. We'll be happy to give you a wake-up call, as well as up-to-date information on your outage and time of restoration.

PG&E's phone lines may become very busy during major storms, so we ask for your patience if you are trying to reach us.