PG&E crews have restored power to tens of thousands of Bay Area customers who experienced storm-related outages today, and are working to get power back for several thousand more.
As of 10 p.m., approximately 4,000 customers remained without power in the region, mostly in the South Bay, down from 56,000 earlier today.
PG&E spokesman Joe Molica said about 2,500 customers were without power in the South Bay, 370 on the Peninsula, 850 in the East Bay, 100 in San Francisco and 180 in the North Bay.
PG&E expects storms to continue affecting service throughout the week. Molica said PG&E has contracted additional crews to make repairs if needed.
He cautioned customers in coastal areas of the Bay Area to prepare for the possibility of being without power for a couple days as stormy weather is expected to continue to pound the region. The coastal and wooded areas pose the biggest challenge for repair crews because of high winds and the concentration of trees.
PG&E advises those affected to use battery-operated flashlights rather than candles, which are a fire hazard, PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said.
Another tip is to freeze several large plastic bottles of water, she said. That way, if power goes out, the frozen water bottles can be used to keep temperatures cool inside refrigerators and freezers so food doesn’t spoil.
Anyone who sees a downed power line should call 911. Otherwise, outages can be reported to (800) 743-5002.
