Power outages reported in west Sonoma County, Monte Rio, Lake County after storm

A series of storms drenching the North Coast contributed to power outages scattered throughout the region, including from a Friday morning mudslide that toppled trees and knocked out several utility lines near Graton.

More than 1,700 customers from Graton to Occidental lost power at about 10:45 a.m. Friday with no estimated time yet for when power might be restored, PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno said.

A towering fir tree toppled as the hillside gave way, bringing a handful of other trees and utility lines down as well and covering Occidental Road west of Mill Station Road with five feet of dirt in some areas.

Sonoma County road maintenance division manager Rob Silva said the mudslide took down a whole set of utility lines, and crews were waiting for the electricity, telephone and cable lines to be secured before bringing in the tree removal crews.

“We’re guessing it will take at least five to six hours,” Silva said. “We’re at that saturation point where the hills are sliding and taking trees down with it.”

Another 400 customers were without power in Monte Rio, and a damaged power pole cut service for about 200 in Rohnert Park, with some restored by early afternoon.

In Lake County, a tree branch fell onto power lines on Bachelor Valley Road in Witter Springs at about 7:30 a.m., and power lost by 1,326 customers in Upper Lake and Lucerne was restored by 10:30 a.m.

A goose met its fate at about 10 a.m. in Nice after flying into two power lines near Hammond Avenue and Highway 20, causing an automatic shutoff that cut power for nearly 600 customers in the area. Power was restored before 11:30 a.m., Moreno said.

The storm had not caused major power failures in Mendocino County by early afternoon Friday, apart from a 56-customer outage in Point Area, 23 in Gualala and ten outside of Ukiah.

“That activity is pretty light,” Moreno said.

The drought has lessened the land’s ability to absorb rainfall and left trees with weakened root systems - all factors that create greater hazards for utility lines, Moreno said.

“In terms of winds, this storm is less severe than what we had last weekend,” Moreno said. “The difference is there’s more rain, that can lead to saturated soils.”

Check back later for updates.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.