The safest time to prepare your home’s electrical system is while it is dry. The safest response after water gets in is to stay away from wet equipment and have a qualified electrician assess it before anyone uses it. If someone is in danger, call 911.
Key takeaways
- Prepare while it is dry: charge devices, find your main breaker and unplug electronics you can spare. See ESFI’s disaster safety guide.
- Drying does not make water-exposed equipment safe. ESFI says it can carry hidden contamination and long-term shock and fire risk, so have a qualified electrician assess it.
- Distance guidance, not a statistic: ESFI says to stay at least 35 feet from any fallen power line. Call 911, then your utility.
- If reaching the main switch means entering standing water, CDC says to call an electrician instead.
- Check live outage and alert pages before you act: SCE, SDG&E and NV Energy.
Last checked: October 13, 2026, 3:40 AM PDT. Alerts, closures and outage maps change quickly, so use the live links in this guide before you act.
What is happening right now
Tropical Storm Rachel, later described as a post-tropical system, brought heavy rain, coastal flooding and high surf to parts of Southern California between about October 9 and 12, 2026, and its remnant moisture reached Las Vegas. San Diego County’s alert page listed Tropical Cyclone Rachel on October 9, and the City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency for it. Impacts were not the same everywhere. Most heavy rain had passed by October 12 and 13. A KPBS report dated October 12 said the National Weather Service coastal flood advisory for San Diego would stay in effect through Tuesday afternoon, October 13. Check the live NWS Los Angeles alerts, NWS San Diego alerts and NWS Las Vegas alerts to see what has changed.
How to prepare for a power outage
Do these while conditions are dry and safe. None of them involves opening a panel or touching wiring.
- Charge phones, power banks and battery lights. Keep battery flashlights where you can find them in the dark.
- Find your main breaker and make sure everyone at home knows where it is. Do not test or open anything you are unsure about.
- Unplug electronics you can spare and move them off the floor. ESFI’s disaster safety guide recommends this to limit flood and surge damage.
- Check battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms, especially if you may use a generator.
- Take dated photos of your panel, major appliances and outdoor equipment for later inspections and insurance.
ESFI also lists turning off the main breaker before a storm to protect wiring from surges. If you are unsure that suits your home, ask a licensed electrician first.
“If your home experienced flooding, keep the power off until an electrician has inspected your system for safety”
What to do during a power outage
Check whether only your home is affected, since a tripped breaker can be the cause. If neighbors are dark too, report it to your utility: Southern California Edison at 1-800-611-1911, SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343, or Riverside County Emergency Management at (951) 358-7100 for county information. Use battery lights, not candles.
What to do when your house is flooded
Floodwater can electrify the area around it. ESFI warns that flooded areas may be electrified. Keep these rules in mind:
- Do not wade through standing water to reach a panel, outlet or appliance.
- Do not touch a breaker, switch or cord with wet hands or on a wet surface.
- Do not plug in, turn on or reset anything that was wet.
- Stay at least 35 feet from fallen power lines and call 911, then call your utility.
How does a professional assessment of water-exposed equipment work?
Drying equipment does not make it safe. ESFI’s guide to water-damaged electrical equipment says floodwater can carry chemicals, sewage and debris, and that improperly reconditioned equipment carries long-term shock and fire risk.
- Wait until officials say it is safe, and stay out of standing water.
- Leave wet panels, outlets, switches, appliances and cords unused. Do not dry them with heaters first.
- Photograph the damage from a safe distance.
- Ask a qualified electrician to inspect the system before power is restored.
- Expect some items to be replaced and others reconditioned. ESFI lists receptacles, switches and molded-case breakers as typically replaced, while some panelboards and motors may be reconditioned.
- Ask your building department whether an inspection or permit is needed. Requirements vary.
Is there a power outage in my area? Where to check
Use your utility’s live map: SCE outage status, SDG&E outage reporting or NV Energy outages and emergencies. For evacuation and county alerts, sign up for Alert RivCo, Alert Long Beach or check AlertSanDiego.
Numbers to have on hand
- Emergency: fallen lines, fire, shock injury, carbon monoxide symptoms: 911
- Southern California Edison: outages and public safety hazards: 1-800-611-1911
- SDG&E: downed power lines (after 911) and outages: 1-800-411-7343
- Riverside County Emergency Management: (951) 358-7100
- Red Electricians electrical assistance line (24/7 call center): (833) 253-6787
Official resources for updates
Visit these pages for live alerts, closures and outage maps.
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard (Los Angeles, Orange County, Long Beach)https://www.weather.gov/lox/Live watches, warnings and advisories for the Los Angeles area.
- NWS San Diego (San Diego, parts of Orange and Riverside counties)https://www.weather.gov/sgx/Live alerts and forecasts for San Diego and nearby inland areas.
- NWS Las Vegashttps://www.weather.gov/vef/Live alerts and forecasts for Las Vegas and Clark County.
- Alert Long Beach (City of Long Beach)https://www.longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness/alert-long-beach/Explains the city’s emergency alert system. Sign-up is at https://accountportal.onsolve.net/alertlb
- City of Newport Beach: coastal flood updatehttps://www.newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/44934/2720Closures, sand berm requests and sandbag locations. The page is undated, so confirm it is still current.
- AlertSanDiego (County of San Diego)https://www.alertsandiego.org/Regional emergency updates, including the County’s Tropical Cyclone Rachel notice.
- Alert RivCo (Riverside County Emergency Management)https://emd.rivco.gov/alert-rivcoSign up for county emergency alerts.
- Southern California Edison: check outage statushttps://www.sce.com/outages-safety/outage-center/check-outage-statusOutage status and restoration information.
- Southern California Edison: report an outage or safety issuehttps://www.sce.com/outages-safety/report-outage-safety-issueReporting outages and hazards. SCE lists 1-800-611-1911 for outages and public safety hazards.
- ESFI: Consumer Electrical Safety During Disastershttps://www.esfi.org/consumer-electrical-safety-during-disasters/Pre-storm steps, generator rules, downed line distance.
- ESFI: Water-Damaged Electrical Equipmenthttps://www.esfi.org/water-damaged-electrical-equipment/Which flooded equipment is typically replaced or reconditioned.
- Ready.gov: Floodshttps://www.ready.gov/floodsFEMA flood safety, including floodwater and power line hazards.
- SDG&E: power outage safetyhttps://www.sdge.com/safety/power-outage-safetyDowned line reporting and outage steps.
- ESFI: Flood Electrical Safetyhttps://www.esfi.org/flood-electrical-safety-high-water-high-stakes/Electrical safety before and after flooding.
- CDC: Reentering Your Flooded Homehttps://www.cdc.gov/floods/safety/reentering-your-flooded-home-safety.htmlReturning to a flooded home safely.
News reports and other sources cited
- KPBS: San Diego storm clears out, high surf and coastal flood warnings linger (October 12, 2026)https://www.kpbs.org/news/living/2026/10/12/san-diego-storm-clears-out-high-surf-and-coastal-flood-warnings-lingerNews report used for San Diego conditions, the coastal flood advisory and weekend impacts.
- AlertSanDiego: Tropical Cyclone Rachel noticehttps://www.alertsandiego.org/en-us/incident-page.1567.htmlCounty of San Diego incident page for the storm.
- City of Newport Beach: local emergency declared for Tropical Storm Rachel (October 9, 2026)https://www.newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/44930/2720City announcement of the local emergency.
Need an electrician for storm damage?
Red Electricians’s call center is open 24/7 at (833) 253-6787. Our electricians are available specifically for storm-related electrical problems during this critical period. In the areas we serve, we aim to reach customers within minutes to a few hours, depending on your location and how many calls are ahead of yours. You can also use our contact page. This is our electrical assistance line. For fallen power lines, fire, shock injuries or carbon monoxide symptoms, call 911 first.
