Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Many around the state are still dealing with the recovery of all the rain and snow Mother Nature has brought in the last couple of weeks.

County officials are urging the public to be prepared and stay safe with more heavy rain and possible flooding in the forecast and encouraged to follow important safety and preparedness tips.

In anticipation of the forecasted wind and rain, SDG&E is increasing the number of field crews and equipment available to restore power as quickly and safely as possible should power outages occur.

The company’s meteorology team is also monitoring weather conditions minute-by-minute to help provide situational awareness to front-line crews working to maintain the infrastructure that serves the region. However, preparedness is a community effort, and the company encourages all its customers to have a plan in place in case of unplanned outages.

Here is a collection of handy tips from the County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and SDG&E to prepare for and respond to rain and flooding.

Stay informed: Monitor the weather and the news.

Evacuate immediately if told to evacuate or if you feel unsafe. Be prepared to evacuate with only minutes’ notice. If evacuating, disconnect all electrical appliances; turn off electricity at the panel, gas service at the meter, and water at the main valve.

Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters.

Get to the highest level if trapped in a building. Only get on the roof if necessary and once there signal for help. Do not climb into a closed attic to avoid getting trapped by rising floodwater.

Secure any loose outdoor items like umbrellas, patio furniture and garbage bins to prevent them from flying away and damaging power lines.

Stay informed. Get local updates at AlertSanDiego.org, download the County emergency app to receive alerts, follow the County on social media and listen to local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions regarding flooding.

Contact your healthcare provider if you are sick and need medical attention. Wait for further care instructions and shelter in place, if possible. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

If a customer sees a downed power line or damaged electrical equipment:

Do not touch any downed power lines or broken gas lines. Report them immediately to the police or fire department.

Always assume a downed line is energized and stay away. Never touch a downed power line or damaged electrical equipment.

Call 9-1-1 and SDG&E at (800) 411-SDGE (7343) to report it.

If a person has come into contact with a power line, do not touch them. Call 9-1-1 immediately.

If a downed line or other electrical equipment comes in contact with a car, customers should remain inside the vehicle and call 9-1-1 and SDG&E at 1 (800) 411-7343.

In general, to deal with most emergencies

Family Disaster Plan: Create and/or review your own family disaster plan. Practice evacuating with your family.

Have a go-kit to keep necessary items handy if you had to evacuate. including food and medication. Keep a battery-operated radio and flashlights handy in case the power goes out. Check the batteries now to make sure the equipment works, and do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage. Consider a backup plan if there is medical equipment in the house needed for health and safety.

Have contingency plans for different times of the day, such as an emergency while some family members are at work or school.

Check with schools or childcare providers to make sure you are aware of emergency plans and how you will be contacted.

Plan to reunite: In case you are separated during a disaster, discuss where to reunite because phone service may not be reliable during a disaster.

Pets: Your pets are part of your family too. Make sure they are microchipped and you have evacuation items for them as well – including crates for small pets. In addition, have evacuation plans for larger animals such as horses or livestock.

Careful on the Roads

Avoid driving in heavy rain conditions but if the trip is necessary:

Know your situation. If you don’t have to leave home, don’t. If you can work from home, do so.

If you don’t have to drive, stay off the streets and out of areas that could flood.

Slow down to avoid getting into an accident. It takes longer to stop when roads are wet. Allow yourself at least an extra 15 minutes or so to arrive at your destination to adjust for slower traffic.

Turn on your headlights to see better and make it easier for other drivers to see you. It’s the law.

Try to drive toward the middle lanes as water tends to gather in outside lanes.

Defog your windows for better visibility. Rain can cause windows to fog up. Along the same lines, check your windshield wipers preferably before it rains again and replace them as needed.

Avoid driving through deep water because it can affect your brakes. If you cannot avoid it, test your brakes afterward to make sure they’ve dried out and are working properly.

Turn around, don’t drown. In heavy rains, never drive through a flooded roadway if you cannot see the pavement. Even a few inches of water running at the right velocity can sweep a car, and even a truck, and its occupants off the roadway and downstream. You should not walk or swim across a flooded roadway either.

Give the cars in front of you extra distance. The spray from their vehicles – particularly from larger trucks and buses – can hamper your vision. And giving extra space to the guy in front of you also gives you more time to brake or adjust if you need to do so.

Keep calm, don’t oversteer or stomp on the brakes if you start to hydroplane or skid when your tires lose traction with the wet road. The Department of Motor Vehicles says keep the steering wheel straight and take your foot off the accelerator so your vehicle can slow down slowly.

Stay focused. Remember, it’s illegal, and dangerous, to try to text or use a hand-held cell phone when you’re driving.

Slow down for the cone zone if you see highway or road workers ahead or to your side. Watch out for public works crews and equipment.