Residents and PG&E spar over storm response as county seeks better communications

PG&E told the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors it restored nearly 16,000–17,000 customers after a recent multi‑wave storm but residents and county staff said failures in communications and road‑clearing left high‑elevation communities cut off for days.

At a March board meeting, Nathan Alonzo of PG&E’s local government affairs team and field managers described the utility’s response: 178 total crews deployed across the region, 78 electric crews, nearly 1,000 hazard trees cleared, use of up to nine snowcats and 128 rescues in the first three days of the event. “Our objectives were to restore customers as quickly and as safely as possible,” said Mark Smackwin, the electric superintendent who led on‑the‑ground operations.

But public commenters and county officials described a different early experience. Resident Katherine Taylor, who lives in Arnold, told the board her neighborhood saw no plows for days and that county staff told residents otherwise. “The county did not communicate… Facebook is not a public utility and it is not acceptable as your only communication method with constituents,” Taylor said.

County public‑works staff acknowledged gaps. The public‑works director said early coordination was hampered by downed, buried lines and limited access: crews sometimes had to stand down until hazards were cleared. “We begged for information from PG&E,” the director told the board, adding that only after files with mapped hazard locations were exchanged could crews safely begin plowing and rescues.

PG&E acknowledged early communication problems but said the company made changes as the event progressed, sharing KMZ hazard files and stationing liaisons with responding agencies. “Once we assessed and we knew where those locations were, we shared those files with public works,” Nathan Alonzo said, and added the company would continue to improve how it conveys restoration status to local partners.

Supervisors pressed on practical gaps including where old wire was stored, whether crews used GPS on plows and whether more centralized incident coordination (EOC vs. DOC) should have been used. PG&E answered that old wire was recycled and explained they had several lay‑down yards and scrap processing. The county said it will take lessons from the response to improve coordination before fire season.

The exchange also included calls for community follow‑ups: multiple attendees asked for evening town halls in Arnold and nearby communities so residents can hear details and next steps. The board and PG&E concluded the presentation by agreeing to reinforce communications and continue joint planning for future storms.

The presentation was informational; no formal action was taken beyond discussion and public comment.