"3 Years Of Crushingly Bad Numbers" For Northern California Towns Hit By Fires, Power Cuts

[hatrack]

Like so many other wine country towns dependent on tourism and out-of-town visitors, the California resort community of Guerneville typically experiences a winter downturn. Business owners know to prepare for it. Restaurant owners scale back seasonal staff. Hotels offer discounted rates.

But this winter, no one was prepared for the aftershocks of the second major wildfire to hit Sonoma county in three seasons – one that prompted widespread mandatory evacuations and panic. No one was prepared for the after-effects of weeks of power shutoffs, a preventative measure during high fire weather. Business owners still reeling from the cancelled bookings and loss of business during peak tourism season in the fall are now struggling more than ever to get through the winter. “There just are not enough people coming into town,” said Larry Boeger, the owner of the Timberline at the River restaurant. “We’re closed during the week. We stopped offering brunch. Last winter, we were open every day.”

EDIT

During this time, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) began cutting the power to large swaths of the state in massive power shutoffs that officials have described as California’s “new normal”. The unpredictability of that time period led to a lot of preemptive cancellations. Boeger lost two wedding parties, which would have brought him up to $12,000 a night. “PG&E planned to turn off the electricity the week before Thanksgiving, so we had Thanksgiving reservations canceling, we had Christmas parties canceling,” Boeger said. “People were calling to say, ‘I’m sorry, if I can’t count on doing my daughter’s wedding dinner here, then we’re going to reschedule somewhere else’.”

Perkins’ company realized it was too unsafe to have guests staying in rentals without power if there was a chance of wildfire danger. Then once the fire hit and the mandatory evacuation order came down, they had to get everyone out. “We also personally, everybody who works here, had to evacuate,” she said. “We had to help all our guests get out, cancel anyone who was coming in, and this was usually a very lucrative time because fall is gorgeous in this area. We weren’t available to take bookings for the rest of the year and into the beginning of this year.”

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/08/guerneville-wine-country-climate-crisis-business

[Clash City Rocker]

1. We used to regularly visit a bed and breakfast in Cloverdale

It was run by the nicest lady. Every morning her staff would prepare a three course breakfast for all the customers. Every winery we visited knew about them and loved them.

A few years ago, there was a fire near the bed and breakfast. The place was undamaged, but so many people canceled their reservations out of fear that they had to shut down and sell the place. It still makes me sad to think about it.

[alwaysinasnit]

2. We had our power turned off for four days with little warning beforehand. But it was even worse

for some who, because they had wells, had no water due to the pumps not having power.