SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – High winds are expected ahead of this weekend's storm, which is set to drench the Bay Area and could lead to power outages.
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In preparation, PG&E crews are running around the Bay Area before the storm arrives.
The amount of rain is looking to be somewhat less than initially forecasted, at least in the North Bay, but there will be extremely high winds.
In some places, the wind could get up to more than 55 miles per hour, which is what local agencies will keep an eye on.
"Based on the winds that are forecasted, we do anticipate that there will likely be some trees and power lines down and likely power outages," said Paul Lowenthal, spokesperson for the Santa Rosa Fire Department.
"That's one of the things we're asking our community to be prepared for," he said.
While major flooding isn't expected to be an issue, crews will be ready just in case, according to Lowenthal.
"We want the water to get where it needs to go and we don't want to see any localized flooding or ponding, but the potential is definitely there this weekend," he said.
Meanwhile, PG&E crews are focusing on possible outages in certain areas at risk.
Preparation includes trimming trees and positioning teams to respond quickly if any problems do arise.
"Once the power goes off we get notified through our dispatch centers," said Ron Richardson, PG&E's North Coast Vice President.
"We'll be responding with our first responders to do a first assessment and then we have our repair crews behind them to make those repairs and to restore power," he said.
The utility is sending additional resources to Humboldt County, one of the areas expected to be most impacted by the storm.
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