Tens of thousands without power as storm pounds Northern California with rain, gusty winds

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Faux News-AP

SAN FRANCISCO – A storm expected to be one of the windiest and rainiest in five years swept across the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, knocking out power to tens to thousands and delaying travel by air, train and ferry.

Pacific Gas & Electric is reporting outages are widespread across the Bay Area due to weather, but officials weren't immediately available to give a specific number of outages.

A spokesman for Bay Area Rapid Transit says a PG&E transformer appeared to have malfunctioned near the system's Montgomery Street station. Jim Allison said the station has been shut to both BART trains and trains from the city's Muni transit system and there's no estimate on when it will reopen.

High winds canceled some ferry service east of San Francisco. At least 10 ferry departures around the region were canceled Thursday due to weather conditions, the San Francisco Bay Ferry reported on its website.

FULL story at link.

Video: http://video.foxnews.com/v/3936823456001



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2014/12/11/rain-gust-winds-start-to-push-across-california/

[NYC_SKP]

1. If you haven't already, go out and buy a 12 Volt inverter for small appliances and phone charging.

Walmart, Ace, Best Buy, Target, they all sell inverters for this purpose.

I have several and used one a few years ago during a two-day outage.

We were able to keep the fridge running, and watch movies and have lights.

[AndyTiedye]

3. We Have a Generator

You'd need a pretty good-sized inverter to handle the startup load of a refrigerator.

[NYC_SKP]

5. Most people don't need to or want to invest in a generator.

And a good fridge and freezer will retain it's cold through a typical outage, but not for a multiple day outage, that's true.

For lights and phone and radio and a small fridge, a modest 300W inverter will do.

[AndyTiedye]

6. We Live Up in the Mountains

Power outages are rather frequent and sometimes do last for several days.

[byronius]

2. I do not think there is a single person upset with this rain.

It's freaking paradise after this awful drought. Bring it on. Rain for weeks. Please.

[Kennah]

4. Getting high winds, large branches down, and power flickering here in Olympia, Washington

Mother Nature has a message for us - Get used to this shit, motherfuckers!