Throughout the year, City of Livermore staff proactively prune trees that may pose a safety hazard and clear storm drains of sediment, leaves, and trash that can block water flow during storms.

The City works with the Army Corps of Engineers, California Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board to obtain permits to clear vegetation and debris out of creeks on an ongoing basis.

During heavy rain, staff protect the City's vital infrastructure by keeping right-of-ways clear and closing access to any hazardous areas.

In 2014, the addition of new stream gauges to Zone 7 Water Agency's stream gauging network have facilitated real-time flow reporting for the public via their HydroSphere website.

During times of heavy winds, rain, or possible flooding, there is a potential for power outages in the area. For information on power outages in your neighborhood, call the PG&E information line at 1-800-743-5002, use PG&E's online Electric Outage Map, or login into your PG&E account to sign up for outage alerts.

If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5002 immediately.

PG&E urges customers to stay safe during storms by remembering the following safety tips:

• 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 may be in contact with power lines.
  
  
• 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 customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cell phone running.
  
  
• Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
  
  
• Deck furniture, lightweight yard structures and decorative lawn items should be secured as they can be blown by high winds and damage overhead power lines and property.
  
  
• After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 811 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.