Some drivers in Paso Robles have held off from driving until the wind gusts have let up.
“The wind gusts, the rain, and stuff like that, we could see it slowing down," Terri Robards of Paso Robles said. "We decided to go [when wind gusts was at] 40 to 50 percent. That's when we made our escape... I can't imagine if I would’ve left at 10 a.m.”
According to CAL Fire SLO, there were 164 calls made from Sunday morning to 2 o'clock throughout the county with the majority of the calls involving trees and power lines being down. CAL Fire SLO PIO Toni Davis said they're expecting an influx of calls as the storm surges over the next day.
“In certain parts of California, they get high winds and the trees are just uprooted," Davis demonstrated. "Canopies are being launched out of backyards because they're catching the wind. I mean, it's power lines are going down, power poles. And then the amount of rain. We're severely saturated at this point and it's it's not going to stop for the next two days.”
Davis said if a power line goes down, make sure your backup generator is ready to charge your electronic devices. If your phone is charged, make a phone call to PG&E for further assistance.
“Due to the public and people paying attention to last year and this year's storm warning, and they're doing their part, we've had zero rescues so far," Davis said. "And we hope to keep it that way. But I mean, we're prepared for the worst.”
Davis on Monday said the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team was dispatched later Sunday to a call in Nipomo, although the driver was pulled to safety prior to the team arriving on scene.
Strike teams were prepped and brought in should they be needed during the weekend storm.
