PG&E

PG&E says weekend storm was most damaging single-day storm in utility's history

Sunday's heavy rain and 90-mile-per-hour winds took out more than 750 PG&E poles and thousands of power lines across parts of the Bay Area

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PG&E is calling this past weekend’s storm the most damaging single-day storm in the utility’s company’s history.

It knocked out power to more than 1 million customers, and it said more than 29,000 customers are still in the dark as of Wednesday, with the North Bay getting hit the hardest.

A new PG&E pole went up so residents on Burgundy Lane in Sebastopol will finally have power back by Wednesday night, the utility said. But not everyone will be so lucky.

PG&E said areas with more severe damage could be in the dark until Friday, or even longer.

“Today we are very focused on restoration activity,” said Dave Canny of PG&E.

For three days, thousands of North Bay residents have been waiting for the lights to come back on.

Sunday's heavy rain and 90-mile-per-hour winds took out more than 750 PG&E poles and thousands of power lines across parts of the Bay Area. 

The utility says getting access to some of the damaged area has taken time and in some cases, even requires a helicopter.

PG&E crews and contract workers in Sebastopol were working to replace a power pole that was taken out by a falling tree.

PG&E inspector Marty Sunday said people that have been without power since Sunday, would have it back by Wednesday night. 

It’s an update 90-year-old Pat Irish Amez welcomes.

Tens of thousands of people are still in the dark in the North Bay following last weekend’s storm. PG&E is now calling Sunday the single worst storm for outages in 30 years. NBC Bay Area’s Emma Goss takes a closer look at what the utility is doing to restore power.

“Oh my goodness well we should have a major light party tonight or something like that,” the Sebastopol resident said.

She, along with her daughter and son-in-law, said it’s been a difficult few days.

“Can't open the refrigerator, we do have that much food, can’t turn the water on because we're on a well, so it makes it a little difficult,” said Amez. 

They've used their swimming pool water and a gasoline-powered generator to get by.    

They've also relied on heat from a fireplace and an electric blanket connected to a generator to stay warm through the cold nights.

“I think it was 51 degrees yesterday,” said Amez.

They're eager for the return of power, and a return to normal.

“We're going to appreciate it a lot more than we normally do,’ said Amez.

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