Be Prepared: Public Safety, Disasters and Power Shutdowns

Sonoma County’s Mediterranean climate, distinguished by warm, wet winters and calm, dry summers, creates conditions that are ideal for agriculture, but also may result in occasional seasonal weather-related events.

Emergency Alerts

View detailed information during active emergencies in Sonoma County by visiting SoCo Emergency.
Sign up to receive alerts to your phone and/or email:

SoCo Alert, use the link or call (707)565-1369 for more information
Nixle, use the link or TEXT YOUR ZIP CODE TO 888777 to opt in for mobile alerts.

Visitors — Be Prepared

Sonoma County’s Mediterranean climate, distinguished by warm, wet winters and calm, dry summers, creates conditions that are ideal for agriculture, but also may result in occasional seasonal weather-related events.
Sonoma County is a large region encompassing more than 1,500 square miles. Most often weather-related issues occur in one portion of the county with the great majority of the area completely unaffected.
When traveling to any destination, especially during the peak time periods for weather-related events, visitors should be aware of the potential for a situation that will require immediate action. All travel-related cautions should be considered when making arrangements for any trip.
Travelers should consult a reputable traveler checklist such as the following before traveling: Travelers from abroad click here and domestic travelers click here.
A Public Safety Power Shutoff, also called a PSPS, occurs as a safety precaution to extreme weather. Although you might not be in a high fire-threat area or an area experiencing high winds, your power may be shut off if your home or business relies on a line that runs through an area with severe weather to help prevent wildfire and keep communities safe. Multiple factors are at play when deciding to turn off your power and we take the decision very seriously.
The media often overstates a situation to grab attention. Should media reports mention Sonoma County, consult either your lodging property or Sonoma County Tourism (800) 576-6662 or (707) 522-5800 or on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updated and accurate information.
Read the local Sonoma County news: Press Democrat

Utility Facts

Three large utility companies, including PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company), San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, coordinated a "Power of Being Prepared" media campaign to inform residents and visitors about public safety power shutoffs during "very high" or "extreme" fire threats during summer and early-mid fall: Power of Being Prepared >
PG&E is adding approximately 1,300 weather stations by 2022 to provide improved awareness of fire danger conditions. For information on weather stations click here.
PG&E will be installing approximately 600 cameras by 2022 to enhance real-time monitoring across high fire-risk areas. The entire network of cameras can be viewed at any time here: www.Alertwildfire.org
As a safety precaution, if elevated weather conditions include a potential fire risk, PG&E could shut off power in local cities and towns in Sonoma County. Just like each day’s weather, circumstances for each Public Safety Power Shutoff will be unique.
A power shut down, which includes the weather event plus restoration time, could last several days. PG&E will only restore power when they are certain it is safe to do so. For planning purposes, they suggest customers prepare for multiple-day outages.
Before turning off power, PG&E, and other California-based utility companies, will send early-warning notifications (48 hours in advance, when possible) by phone, text alerts and emails to prepare residents, businesses and visitors of possible shutdowns. Websites and social media channels will also share information and provide regular updates to local news and radio outlets.
PG&E customers may update their contact information here:
My Wildfire Alerts >

Additional Resources

Check the following during active incidents:

Other: