Southern California Edison (SCE) crews will continue to work throughout the day to restore service to customers affected by weather-related outages from a series of  major storms  in the company’s 50,000-square mile service territory.

As of 11 a.m.  today, SCE had 6,986 customers without service. SCE is continuing to prioritize repairs so that customers who have been without power the longest will have service restored first.

The fourth in a series of storms is expected to hit later today, and SCE crews will be working to restore service as outages occur.

In Barstow, SCE crews have been hampered by problems getting to equipment and facilities to make repairs because of snow. It is snowing in Arrowhead, Kernville and Shaver, and crews may face challenges in those communities later in the day because of predicted severe weather conditions.

SCE also is coordinating with local governments in preparation for any issues that may arise because of mudslides in areas affected by wildfires.

Hardest hit areas

The hardest hit areas as of 11 a.m. today were:

• Running Springs, 442 customers
• Valencia, 938 customers
• Rowland Heights, 517 customers
• Whittier, 381 customers
• Palm Springs, 340 customers
• Corona , 286 customers
• Rancho Palos Verdes, 286 customers

SCE preparation steps

The National Weather Service is predicting more winter storms through the end of the week, bringing heavy rain, high wind conditions, flooding in the burn areas and snow. SCE took the following precautionary steps to prepare for possible outages:

• SCE and contract crews have mobilized as outages occurred and will continue working around the clock to restore power in areas that might be affected.
• SCE storm response personnel are supporting service restoration, ensuring that the utility has available inventories of material and equipment for repair work.
• SCE is prioritizing repairs so that customers who have been without power the longest will have service restored first.
• Additional SCE customer call center representatives will be activated to help answer customer calls in the event of increased outages.

Customers can report outages by calling (800) 611-1911.

Safety reminders

• With high winds, heavy rain and snow forecast, SCE wants to remind its customers to be prepared in case of weather-related outages and suggests:
• If you see power lines on the ground, stay away. Do not touch or try to remove them. Downed power lines are dangerous. Call SCE or local law enforcement if you see them.
• If you know someone who is dependent on electrically operated medical equipment, make back-up power arrangements in case a power outage affects that equipment.
• Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
• Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.
• Do not use equipment designed for outdoor cooking indoors. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into the generator, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.