Sandbags Available In Union City

UNION CITY, CA — If the weekend storm left you concerned about rising water, now is a good time to prepare for the next weather event.

Sandbags are available for Union City residents and businesses at the Corporation Yard front parking lot, 34650 7th St.

The City of Union City issued these safety tips for residents:

• Electric- or gas-related emergency needs: Get yourself and others to a safe location, and call 911 to provide details to local dispatch. Then call 1-800-743-5000 and press #1 to report the hazard.
• Report hazards: If you see a downed power line, do not touch or try to move it. Call 911 immediately. All other hazards, such as downed trees or major debris, can be reported to UCPD’s non-emergency line at 510-471-1365. Please do not report power outages to UCPD. We encourage you to call PG&E regarding power outages at 1-800-743-5002.
• Intersection outages: Power outages may impact traffic signals. Intersections without power should be treated as 4-way stops.
• Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric 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.
• Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals, and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
• Have a backup phone: 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.
• Have fresh drinking water, ice: 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.
• Secure outdoor furniture: 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.
• Turn off appliances: 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.