Sacramento County power and emergency agencies preparing for incoming storms
By DeNeeka Hill
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — As the rain and wind move in Thursday, many different agencies across Sacramento County are preparing for the severe weather.
“With the rain and the wind, there’s the possibility for branches to go into power lines and infrastructure. SMUD is closely monitoring weather conditions to make adjustments as needed,” said Gamaliel Ortiz with SMUD. “SMUD has added crew members who will be on standby, who are ready to address any potential power outages that are related to this upcoming storm.”
According to Ortiz, more than 200 team members are ready to work around the clock.
Sacramento Metro Fire is also ramping up staffing after they were faced with challenging rescues during the January storms.
“We know that going into this we’re potentially going to have to up staff and resources. Crews are going to be working day in and day out. Our air operations, on the last storm, were flying through horrendous weather events pulling people out of tree limbs or on the hoods of their cars to rescue them. They had no other options,” said Parker Wilbourn with Sacramento Metro Fire.
Now Sac Metro is pleading with the community to do their part ahead of the storms.
“Be forward thinking. Make sure you already have your sandbags if you’re in a potential flooding area. Make sure you evacuate early. Don’t wait till it’s too late,” Wilbourn said. “Don’t drive through standing water. Your car can float in a foot of water so it’s very easy for that vehicle to be taken off the roadway and then you’re stranded requiring rescue.”
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