High Winds Threaten Outages

Is your household ready for winter’s high winds? The test may come Wednesday and Thursday, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service who have issued a high-wind warning effective at 7 a.m.

It’s a good time to make sure your battery-powered devices are fully charged, including phones, flashlights and radios.

As many Napa residents know from experience, strong winds can play havoc with utilities and road safety, both on the valley floor and at higher elevations. 

The dry weather system moving through the region Wednesday and Thursday could bring gusts as high as 70 mph to the higher elevations and 40 to 45 mph in lower-lying areas, NWS forecaster Duane Dykema said. The wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday. 

The weather service warns drivers of high-profile vehicles to expect "difficult driving conditions" during the wind storm.

PG&E is anticipating some power outages if the wind storm produces the heavy gusts that weather forecasters are predicting, utility spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said Tuesday morning.  

Of the power outages in PG&E's service area, 13 percent are caused by tree limbs that fall onto power lines. Of those, 90 percent are caused by healthy tree branches, she said.  

Customers reporting power outages can call PG&E at (800) 743-5002.  People who encounter a downed power line should assume it is live, keep a safe distance away, and call 911 and PG&E, Sarkissian said.  

Napa residents encountering downed trees on city property should call the tree crew at the City of Napa Parks and Recreation Services Department. The phone number is (707) 257-9529. To report a downed tree on county property, email nancy.stiltz@countyofnapa.org. 

Bay City News Service contributed to this story.