The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management advises residents to prepare for a powerful two-part storm expected to hit the city and the Bay Area from Tuesday afternoon through Christmas Day, according to a statement issued this afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday, warning of gusts up to 55 mph that could topple trees, down power lines, and cause outages.

The storm follows a major PG&E outage earlier this week that affected over 130,000 customers citywide, heightening concerns about renewed power disruptions. City officials advise charging devices, securing loose items, and planning for potential utility interruptions.

Heavy rainfall overnight could overwhelm storm drains and cause localized flooding, with the possibility of Flash Flood Warnings issued via Wireless Emergency Alerts. Forecasters also cautioned that thunderstorms and even isolated tornadoes—rare but possible in San Francisco—could develop. If you receive a flash flood warning, residents are advised to assess their location for flood risk, and if necessary, move to higher ground. Otherwise, travel should be limited. If you receive a wireless alert from the National Weather Service of a possible tornado, move to a central room on the lowest level of a sturdy building.

Dangerous marine and coastal conditions are expected, and residents are advised to avoid beaches, coastal trails, and rocky shorelines. Several parks and attractions have closed as a precaution, including Pine Lake Park, Stern Grove, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, and the Japanese Tea Garden. The Lightscape event at the Botanical Garden has been canceled.

City agencies are deploying crews to clear storm drains and respond to flooding, and Public Works has extended sandbag distribution hours through Wednesday night. Those who need sandbags should check with http://www.sfpublicworks.org/sandbags. Residents are encouraged to report storm-related issues to 311 and reserve 911 for emergencies only.

Updates and safety information are available at sf.gov/storms and through the city’s AlertSF emergency notification system.