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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Thousands of Lake County residents remained without power on Friday afternoon in the wake of a powerful overnight windstorm.
The storm damaged homes and vehicles, knocked down power lines and upended many trees, according to witnesses and first responders.
Shortly after 1 p.m. Pacific Gas and Electric estimated that more than 4,000 residents still did not have power, with more than 2,200 of those people located in the hard-hit Nice area.
Jill Ruzicka, public information officer for the county of Lake, said 26 PG&E crews were either in the county or en route in an effort to restore power.
She said Public Works Department crews are standing by to work on cleanup, but they have to wait while downed lines are dealt with by the utility crews.
Full assessments of damage to county and other facilities haven't yet been done, she said, as emergency personnel are still responding to incidents around the county, including a wildland fire that had broken out near the Kono Tayee subdivision near Lucerne.
Ruzicka said PG&E has told the county that it expects power to be fully restored to the remaining residents without power within 24 hours.
She said a major concern is downed power lines and the danger they pose for community members.
Residents are warned to assume that any downed line is energized, and to keep children and animals away.
The county and PG&E also urge residents not to use candles during outage because of risk of fire. If they are used, they shouldn't be placed near drapes or under lampshades, be in the reach of children, and must not be left unattended.
Other advice includes turning off or unplugging all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.
Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns, and turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal, officials suggested.
Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
