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Nearly 180,000 California homes and businesses were left without power early Thursday while in the throes of a deadly storm.
According to tracker PowerOutage.US, 179,400 customers were powerless as of 6:30 a.m. PT, with more flood advisories issued throughout the Golden State by the National Weather Service.
Pacific Gas & Electric warned that downed trees or branches could be hiding power lines.
"Assume all wires are energized & extremely dangerous. Don't touch or try to move it—keep children [and] animals away," it tweeted.
CALIFORNIA SHERIFF'S OFFICE SHOW EXACTLY WHY NO DRIVER SHOULD IGNORE ROAD CLOSED SIGNS
Cars sit stuck in a flooded underpass at Webster St. and 34th St. that has been flooded since this weekend's storm in Oakland, California on, Jan. 4, 2023. ((Salgu Wissmath/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) / AP Newsroom)
In a press release, the utility said more than 3,000 PG&E, contract and mutual-aid personnel were currently dedicated to storm response and customer service recreation.
"This weather system by itself would present widespread challenges, and we have to factor in that many parts of our service area remain saturated after last weekend’s storm. Our crews have been working tirelessly to ensure we minimize any impacts this storm may have on our customers and hometowns," said Angie Gibson, the vice president of PG&E Emergency Preparedness & Response.
Lightning strikes are seen above buildings in San Francisco, California, on Jan. 5, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (Lapine/via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)
Winds gusting to 85 mph forced the cancellation of more than 70 flights at San Francisco International Airport.
In Sonoma County, according to The Press Democrat, Occidental Volunteer Fire Chief Ronald Lunardi said a child believed to be under 2 years old died Wednesday after a tree fell on a home.
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Evacuations were ordered in preparation for the bomb cyclone, which was expected to peak into early Thursday, and authorities warned residents to stay at home ahead of dangerous conditions.
A woman, who chooses to remain anonymous, fills bags of sand offered at South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Jan. 4, 2023. ((Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) / AP Newsroom)
Gov. Gavin Newsom's office declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to the storm, authorizing the mobilization of the National Guard and activating the state's operations center to its highest level.
"California is mobilizing to keep people safe from the impacts of the incoming storm," he said. "This state of emergency will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response."
People wearing rain ponchos walk across Kearny Street in San Francisco, on Jan. 4, 2023. ((AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) / AP Newsroom)
The atmospheric river storm forced the closure of a stretch of Highway 1 in southern California, as well as a stretch of Highway 101 farther north.
In San Francisco, firefighters rescued a family Wednesday after a tree fell onto their car.
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This comes just days after a New Year’s Eve downpour led to evacuations in northern California and the rescue of several motorists.
A few levees south of Sacramento were damaged, and at least four people died in the flooding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.