The National Weather Service upgraded the Fire Weather Watch issued yesterday to a Red Flag Warning for much of the Bay Area including the North Bay Hills due to dry northerly offshore winds that are expected to arrive at 11 pm Sunday night. The initial burst of winds will occur while humidity values remain fairly moist. However, the dry offshore winds will begin rapid drying of the atmosphere with humidity values dropping quickly by Monday morning.
As a result, PG&E is expected to proactively shut off power to parts of Sonoma County, including some customers in Sonoma Valley Monday, September 20th. At this time, it appears that the City of Sonoma will not be impacted. Look up an address on the PG&E power outage map to see if a particular location is included in this planned power outage.
PG&E has advised that the exact time of de-energization and restoration are subject to change based on weather. Please refer to PG&E’s PSPS Updates page for the most current outage maps, estimated shut-off times, and power restoration information.
CITY OPERATIONS
City offices, Water Facilities, and the Sonoma Police Department are not expected to lose power and will be open regular hours.
PG&E COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS (CRC)
PG&E will open one CRC in Sonoma Valley. The Community Resource Center is scheduled to be open Monday, September 20th, and Tuesday, September 21st from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM. All Community Resource Centers follow state and county guidelines to fight COVID-19. Please visit their website for more information. The Sonoma County CRC location is:
- First Congregational Church of Sonoma (Outdoors Only), 252 West Spain Street, Sonoma. Blankets, snacks and water, Device charging, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, Seating, Small medical device charging, Wi-Fi
WEATHER
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the parts of the Bay Area including Interior North Bay Mountains from 11:00 PM Sunday (9/19) to 8:00 PM on Monday (9/20). A Red Flag Warning is issued for weather events that may result in extreme fire behavior. A Red Flag Warning is the highest alert. During these times extreme caution is urged by all residents because a simple spark can cause a major wildfire. Learn more from CAL FIRE.
The Sonoma Valley Fire District has increased daily staffing for the critical fire weather.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
While we don’t expect any traffic signals to be out in Sonoma city limits, drivers are reminded to be vigilant as multiple intersections in Sonoma County may be without power including during traditional commute times. Public Safety officials urge drivers to reduce speeds, drive with caution, and treat all intersections without power as a 4-way stop, per state law.
Please visit the City’s Emergency Preparedness information page where you can find more resources and information about PG&E’s PSPS program and ways you can better prepare your household in case of an emergency.