Big Winds Coming, Send Us Your Pics

Brace yourself for some strong winds on Wednesday and Thursday. 

That means you can expect downed power lines, tree limbs and tree trunks and all sorts of havoc for motorists and people outdoors on private streets and roads due to a high-wind advisory issued for the Bay Area by the National Weather Service.

We would love to hear how you'll deal with the storm by either commenting at the end of this article or adding photos and videos of how the blustery weather will affect you and your surroundings.

To report downed street trees, contact the Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Department at 408-399-5770.

For private downed trees, contact the same number only if they're blocking a public street. If trees fall on private property, homeowner or resident must contact a tree removal service company.

For downed PG&E power lines and power outages, contact 1-800-743-5002.

If you encounter a downed power line, you should assume it is live, keep a safe distance away, and call 911 and PG&E.

For those living in the Los Gatos mountains, you can check road closures by going to the Santa Cruz County Public Works Department.

The wind storm is expected to produce 60 mph gusts, said PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian.

The storm is caused by a dry weather system moving through the region, weather service forecaster Duane Dykema said.

"It's not really what most people would consider a 'storm,'" Dykema said, adding that rain is not expected but that gusts of 60 to 70 mph are anticipated at higher elevations, with gusts of 40 to 45 mph in lower-lying areas.

Sarkissian said PG&E spends more than $180 million annually to inspect more than 130,000 miles of power lines in its service area from Eureka to Bakersfield to make sure they are safe.

—Bay City News Service contributed to this report