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Metallic balloon demonstration by PG&E. 

OAKLAND, Calif. – A metallic balloon was to blame for a power outage in the East Bay Monday afternoon, not the rainstorm, officials with Pacific Gas and Electric say. 

Balloon partially to blame 

PG&E said this outage was one of the largest, affecting 5,570 customers. 

While there were storm-related outages, PG&E said they see metallic balloon outages frequently. Last year alone, metallic balloons hitting power lines caused 169 outages for nearly 160,000 customers. 

The balloon outage started at 3:53 p.m. PG&E customers primarily in Oakland were affected. All the customers impacted had their power restored from this outage at around 5 p.m. 

A PG&E spokesperson told KTVU many people don’t realize that these balloons can conduct electricity and cause outages if they come into contact with power lines. 

The utility suggested using caution if celebrating with metallic balloons near overhead electric lines. 

Make sure helium-filled balloons are securely tied to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away and never remove the weight, they said. 

PG&E said when you are done with the balloons don’t release them. You should puncture them several times or cut the knot and throw them in the garbage so they don’t float away. 

If a balloon becomes entangled in a power line or floats into a substation, do not attempt to retrieve it. If you do, you may risk electrocution. 

Storm’s impact 

PG&E said it has been preparing for the storm that has dumped some rain over a widespread area of the Bay. 

“Ahead of storms, we use this data to help inform where to position additional crews and resources including staging power poles, powerlines, transformers and other electric equipment in key locations throughout our service area to restore power to affected areas safely and as quickly as possible,” PG&E said in a statement. 

As for the storm, the utility said as of 5 p.m. the following outages were still impacting the Bay Area. 

San Francisco – 10Peninsula – 177East Bay – 4,070South Bay – 667North Bay – 2,453 OaklandPG&ENewsWeather