PG&E crews race to restore power after heavy snow, despite challenges

Thousands of residents in Nevada County are experiencing dayslong power outages after a snowstorm caused snow-covered pine trees to topple, creating hazardous conditions for utility crews working to restore power. “It came in two waves, and it was the second wave that really dumped on us. And so that’s what the big cleanup is here,” said Nevada County resident Tom Dalleorf.Chainsaws are buzzing throughout the foothills of the Sierra Nevada as crews work to clear the debris. The heavy snowfall has created dangerous conditions for PG&E crews, who have had to pull vegetation crews out due to the risk of falling trees.”There was so much risk. I don’t want to say close calls, but calls where we barely got our crews out of the area in time before trees started falling as a result of the really heavy, wet snow,” said PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith.Dalleorf, who is 82 years old, has been using a generator to get by after losing power two nights ago. He learned a cold lesson during a previous snowstorm when he lost power for five days. Despite the challenges, his spirits remain high.”Generator, won’t you help me power this house?” Dalleorf sang to a tune.PG&E has plenty of crews and equipment ready to restore power, but accessing broken power poles and lines has been difficult due to unsafe conditions.”The conditions have not been safe in many instances for our crews to be able to do the work, or we just have access,” Smith said. A break in the weather is expected to help crews make significant progress in restoring power. Dalleorf remains patient, understanding the challenges of living in the area.”It’s part of living up here, you know? You just slow down, get over yourself,” Dalleorf said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel