PG&E preps for long storm ahead – Paradise Post

CHICO — On a chilly Thursday morning, Chico resident Paul Daniska watched as the dying cedar tree at the home he’s lived in for about 25 years came down piece by piece.

“I’ve been here since 1999, but my son was going to college so I bought the house here for him so he had a place for a while,” Daniska said. “I had a ranch down in the Sutter Buttes and when I was done farming and my son had moved on, I moved in.”

The cedar, one of two on either side of his home, had been struggling for some time because of a lack of water. Daniska said he had even kept the hose dripping on it but to no avail.

Kyle Lee, left, and Colton Davis stand by as a cedar tree is portioned off from above on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Chico, California. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
Kyle Lee, left, and Colton Davis stand by as a cedar tree is portioned off from above on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Chico, California. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)

“Yeah, I’m disappointed to see it go,” Daniska said. “But because of the drought, it’s dying off. So it just has to go. No choice about it. The one on the other side of the house is probably going to go next year.”

With help from PG&E and its contractors at Mountain F. Enterprises, the tree was cut down and hauled off Thursday. The tree downing was part of the power company’s push for line safety in storm events, especially with two storm systems to hit California starting Friday evening. The tree in question was close to power lines along Mulberry Street.

“PG&E’s contractor is removing a tree that unfortunately has reached a condition where it’s unsafe,” said PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. “So we worked with this property owner to remove that tree.”

Moreno said storm conditions can cause trees and limbs to fall in multiple ways.

“We’re expecting a few days of rain and some gusty winds,” Moreno said. “With saturated soils, that means sometimes trees might topple over if they have weak roots, and it can also cause tree branches to break and fly into power lines. So year-round we trim and remove trees away from power lines.”

Keegan Huerta uses a chainsaw to cut a cedar tree in Chico, California on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)
Keegan Huerta uses a chainsaw to cut a cedar tree in Chico, California on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Jake Hutchison/Enterprise-Record)

Oncoming storms

Forecasts have shown potential for four to five-day weather event broken up into two storms with the first beginning Friday evening.

Sarah Purdue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office, said the rain totals for the first storm will vary based on the location, but said the valley around Chico, Oroville, Orland and even up to Red Bluff could be looking at between an inch and an inch and a half through Sunday with heavier rain further north near Redding which could see as much as three inches. Foothill areas are likely to see a little more rain than the valley.

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