Strong Winds Winding Up In Hercules

The National Weather Service has issued a high-wind warning for  the Bay Area that will be in effect for Wednesday and Thursday as a dry  weather system moves through the region, weather service forecaster Duane  Dykema said.

"It's not really what most people would consider a 'storm,'"  Dykema said this morning. He said rain is not expected but that gusts of 60 to 70 mph are  anticipated at higher elevations, with gusts of 40 to 45 mph in lower-lying  areas, Dykema said. 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which serves most of Hercules residents, is preparing for the windy weather but anticipating some power outages.PG&E inspects power lines and trees hanging near power lines to avoid power outages. Herculean PG&E customers experiencing power outages or related hazards can call the utility at (800) 743-5002.          

Residents who get power from the Hercules Municipal Utility can reach the utility’s emergency outage hotline at 510-231-7029. To receive updates from HMU by text message or email, residents sign up for notifications from the utility at Nixle.com.People who encounter a downed power line should assume it is live, keep a safe distance away, and call 911 and PG&E, said PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian.  

-Bay City News contributed to this report.