Get ready, a storm is coming

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind and flash flood warning for Wednesday evening and Thursday.

Heavy rainfall is expected throughout the Bay Area, especially in the North Bay. High winds from 20 to 40 MPH are expected, with gusts up to 40 to 60 MPH.

The volume of rainfall is expected to overwhelm waterways, creeks and roadway drainage systems, leading to flash flooding. It is advised to stay home if possible until the storm passes.

If you must be out during the storm, the Petaluma Police Department advises residents take the following into consideration: Never drive through standing water; you never know how deep the water is.

Always treat low hanging and downed power lines as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. Keep yourself and others away from them.

Be aware that trees, pools of water and other objects that may be in contact with power lines. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 immediately and then notify PG&E at (800) 743-5002.

During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, holiday trees and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.

Customers with generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to crews working on power lines.

If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.

The city is making sand and sandbags available to citizens of Petaluma. These supplies are located at two unmanned stations. One is located at the end of Hopper Street near Shamrock Concrete’s yard. The other is at the Prince Park entry in the parking lot to the right. Bags are located at both sits in a metal box next to the sand piles at each location. Shovels are provided so you may bag your own sand. Bags will not be pre-filled and there will be no personnel to do this task.

Please keep storm drains and under-driveway gutter conveyances clear of leaves and debris. Clean storm drains or catch basins help prevent localized flooding and hazardous road conditions. Lt. Tim Lyons.