Important Post-Storm Safety Advice
Salinas, CA -- Following a severe storm Friday and with more wind and rain expected Monday, Salinas Fire Chief Ed Rodriguez advises residents to take the following important precautions.
Mayor Joe Gunter is available today to discuss this and other storm-related information.
If your electricity goes out:
- Don't use liquid fuel equipment, such as kerosene or propane heaters or lamps, to heat or light your house. These devices give off potentially lethal carbon monoxide, and should only be used outside.
- Don't use your stove to heat your house. The heat could ignite nearby cabinets, and gas stoves also give off carbon monoxide.
- If you have to leave your home, make sure heaters, appliances, and other devices are turned off.
- When power is restored, make sure major appliances are working, in case they suffered damage from the outage. If you do have appliance trouble, call a licensed repair person.
- If you continue to have problems with your electricity, call a licensed electrician or, for outages, PG&E. PG&E provides storm updates on its website at pge.com.
While you're outside:
- If you see a downed wire, don't touch it or try to move it. Instead, call 911 immediately. Electrical wires carry enough current to kill. Even if they are are de-energized, they may suddenly be re-energized.
- Monday's rains may cause flooding. If you see standing water, don't walk or drive through it. Six inches of water can knock a man off his feet, and two feet of water can carry away a car.
- Stay clear of trees, some of which may be ready to blow down with the next gust of wind.
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