PG&E says it was well-prepared for storm as it works to restore power

ORINDA, Calif. - Pacific Gas & Electric is continuing to work around the clock to restore power to pockets of several communities in the East Bay.

High winds sent trees toppling over on Sunday evening, some right into utility poles.

"Last night around midnight it just all went bad man, it just all went bad," said Tony Carter of Sunol.

Just down the block from Carter’s home on Kilkare Road, a large oak tree came down on a power pole. PG&E was on the ground much of Monday afternoon, working to restore power to the neighborhood.

"The lights went out, it’s pitch black out here once there’s no power, it’s pitch black, you know you can’t see a thing," said Carter.

PG&E said it was well prepared for the storm.

"Our PG&E meteorologists had been tracking the storm since Wednesday, and we had outage prediction models that told us exactly where to pre-stage crews," said Deanna Contreras, a PG&E spokesperson.

That data helped crews respond more quickly to outages, but the amount of damage left in the storm’s wake, still created plenty of work for their teams.

In Sunol, a number of tree removal crews were on hand for the cleanup, including a tree limb that destroyed a car.

"That sycamore tree fell on my granddaughter’s boyfriend’s truck," said Lawrence Gronly of Sunol, relieved that no one was inside at the time.

In Pleasanton, at the Alameda County Fair, workers spent the day cleaning up after branches and signs came down. Booths were also damaged or knocked over by the winds and heavy rain.

Crews arrived early in Danville to cleanup a mudslide that swept across La Gonda Way.

In Orinda, a wall of mud came crashing down on the Meadow Swim and Tennis Club, damaging a tennis court.

PG&E says it’s hoping to restore power to the vast majority of customers across the Bay Area by the end of the day.