PG&E Reminds Customers about Importance of Personal Preparedness in the Wake of Recent Natural Disasters

September 26, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–September is National Preparedness Month, and with thousands of people
recently displaced and widespread damage due to the hurricanes that
devastated parts of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, along with the 7.1
magnitude earthquake that rocked Mexico City, Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E) reminds its customers to make a personal emergency
preparedness plan and build an emergency kit.

“These recent natural disasters are proof positive of the importance of
having sufficient supplies and a realistic emergency plan in the event
of a natural disaster. While hurricanes aren’t something Californians
necessarily have to worry about, wildfires, earthquakes and severe
storms are. These weather events and emergencies could give little to no
time to gather the most basic necessities in the event of an evacuation
or related power outage that could occur, and this is exactly why
planning ahead is essential,” said Pat Hogan senior vice president of
Electric Operations, PG&E.

Closer to home, nearly 200,000 people downriver from Lake Oroville were
evacuated for several days in February when the main and emergency
spillways of the California Department of Water Resources’ Oroville Dam
were significantly damaged due to heavy winter rains, nearly resulting
in a large uncontrolled water release and life-threatening floods.

PG&E
took precautions and worked closely with local, state and federal
agencies during the crisis to coordinate response efforts, identify
potential impacts to customers, and ensure the public’s safety.

Today, in the wake of these recent events and as a part of National
Preparedness Month, PG&E is asking customers to pledge to create
personal emergency plans. And in support of the communities it serves,
the company also will host giveaways of emergency kits at a handful of
locations throughout its service area at the end of the month.

PG&E urges customers to stay safe during emergencies by taking these
precautions and remembering these and other tips that can be found at pge.com/beprepared:

  • Create an emergency
    preparedness kit     that includes food and water, health and
    medical supplies and equipment such as a portable radio and
    flashlights.
  • Make a plan and practice it. Ensure that all your household
    members know what to do when emergencies occur. Consider that not
    everyone might be together during the event.
  • Establish a location where your family can reunite after evacuating. Decide
    on a second meeting place, in case the primary location is unusable.
  • Keep your pets in mind when planning for emergencies. Include
    your pets in your practice drills. The practice can help them get used
    to a leash or carrier during stressful situations. Find out which
    kennels, shelters or veterinarians can care for your animals during an
    emergency. Public shelters may not accept pets because of health and
    safety concerns.
  • Keep at least a half tank of gas in your car at all times
    in case you need to evacuate unexpectedly. Gas stations might be
    closed during emergencies or even run out of fuel if there’s a rush of
    customers. Keep electric vehicles charged as well.
  • Familiarize yourself with alternate routes out of your area. If
    possible, identify multiple locations in different directions so you
    have options during an evacuation. Of course, if authorities identify
    a specific evacuation route, follow it. Do not take shortcuts as they
    may be blocked.
  • Never Touch Downed Wires: If you see a downed power line,
    assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to
    move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines
    immediately by calling 911 and by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
  • In the event of an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical
    appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent 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.

Customers can sign up for outage alerts, where PG&E provides updates
that include the cause of the outage as well as when customers can
expect power to be back on, at pge.com/outagealerts.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

Contacts

PG&E Corporation
Paul Doherty, 415-973-5930