Be prepared for emergencies

Prepare and practice your plan

Ensure that all your household members know what to do when emergencies occur. Consider that not everyone may be together during the event. Use the following guidelines to stay safe:

• Prepare two ways to escape your home. One of your exits may be blocked during an emergency. Address accessibility issues when creating escape routes, especially for disabled or elderly household members. Ensure that the children in your household know the safety procedures.
• Confirm your emergency exit locations if you live in an apartment complex.
• Avoid using on or off switches, appliances, electronics or phones during an evacuation. The electronics can create sparks and ignite leaking gas.
• Keep your pets in mind when planning for emergencies. Include your pets in your practice drills. The practice can help them get used to a leash or carrier during stressful situations. Find out which kennels, shelters or veterinarians can care for your animals during an emergency. Public shelters may not accept pets because of health and safety concerns.
  PLEASE NOTE: This rule typically does not apply to service animals.
• Establish a location where your family can reunite after evacuating. Decide on a second meeting place, in case the primary location is unusable.
• Practice your emergency plan several times. Thinking clearly during an emergency can be difficult. Practice your plan with household members often so that they are familiar with it.
• Review your plan with everyone in your household every three to six months.

 

Evaluate your home

Help ensure that your property and home are prepared for emergencies with the following guidelines:

• Know when and how to turn off your electricity and gas at the main switch and valves. Learn how to turn off your electricity. Visit Turning Your Electricity On and Off. Learn how to turn your gas off. Visit Turn Your Gas Off.
• Locate fire extinguishers and learn how to use them before they are needed.
• Learn how to open your garage door manually. Plan for your door’s inability to open automatically during an outage.
• Install smoke alarms throughout your home. Replace your alarms’ batteries once a year, at a minimum. Replace the batteries as soon as you hear a beeping warning noise.
• Ensure that your standby generator is working properly. A properly working generator can help avoid damage to your property and can help PG&E workers or emergency first responders stay safe in your neighborhood. Learn how to ensure that the generator is working correctly. Visit Electric Generator Safety.
• Get your installer’s emergency phone number if you use rooftop solar panels. Solar panels are designed to withstand severe weather conditions, but problems may occur or you may have questions. Review your solar contract determine what to do when your panels are damaged or covered with debris.

 

Access our other resources to help you deal with emergency events

PG&E offers additional information and best practices for emergencies. Visit any of the following PG&E pages to learn more.

Create an emergency supply kit

Stock up on enough supplies to last a week. Put the items in waterproof containers and store them in a place that’s easy to reach. Learn more on how to prepare the kit. Visit Emergency Preparedness | Create a supply kit.

 

Get ready for winter storms if you’re a homeowner with private solar

Find out how to prepare for big storms with the following PG&E currents article. Visit How Rooftop Solar Homeowners Can Prepare for Winter Storms.

 

Stay safe during storms and outages

Storms and other events can sometimes cause outages. During and after such an event, keep away from flooded areas and downed trees. Those areas can hide downed power lines that are energized. Call 9-1-1 immediately when you witness a downed power line. Then, call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.

Learn more about safety during a storm or outage. Visit Storms, Outages and Safety.

 

Leave the area immediately if you smell gas

Evacuate the area when you smell natural gas or suspect a gas leak. Open windows and doors on your way out, and inform emergency response teams as soon as possible. Call 9-1-1 first, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000, when you are a safe distance from the building.

Learn more about gas outages. Visit Gas Outages.

 

Sign up for outage alerts

Stay informed by signing up for outage alerts. We can contact you when there’s an outage in your area and let you know when we expect service to be restored. Choose to be notified by text, phone or email.

Get started by logging in to your PG&E account and setting your notification preferences. Visit Your Account.