On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff released the following statement after reports were released by the Davies Group and Southern California Edison (SCE) on the response to the windstorm of November 2011:

“I am pleased that SCE has responded proactively to the problems identified in its response to the recent windstorm by releasing both an internal report and a report from an outside firm. Both reports identify areas where SCE’s response should be improved for future. Most importantly, the reports call for an improved damage assessment method that will integrate information and produce more accurate final power restoration times. It will also be essential for power companies to better apprise consumers as those restoration times change, and better monitor their poles for potential overloading problems.

“The November windstorm was an unplanned drill for a more serious natural disaster in the future, and we can learn from the problems we encountered. There are many improvements to make, and all utilities can take the lessons of the Windstorm response to heart by implementing the lessons learned.”

The windstorm, which hit the Los Angeles area on Nov. 30, knocked out power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses and did tens of millions of dollars in damage to cities in the San Gabriel valley. Power restoration proved time-consuming and difficult, with thousands still without power almost a week after the storm hit.

Schiff previously hosted a roundtable discussion with federal, state and local officials, representatives from local utilities, FEMA, the CPUC and others focusing on the windstorm and how our region can be better prepared for a future emergency.