Severe weather leaves many Tuolumne County residents in the dark for more than a day
GROVELAND – There is a race to restore power in Tuolumne County.
Over the weekend, several PG&E customers reported they lost power for more than 24 hours after a severe storm roared through the region.
For a destination spot like Groveland, losing power was not just a matter of inconvenience. In the past two months, business owners lost power at the height of their busy season.
The back-to-back loss is dealing a blow to small businesses.
"Some of the restaurants and the lodging industry, they had to give money back to their guests because their guests [said] this is not what we expected," said Joanie Gisler, owner of the retail store Ranch Revived.
No power and no internet meant no business for Gisler either.
PG&E reports nearly 900 lightning strikes were detected in the region Saturday.
More than 30 transformers got hit, according to a spokesperson.
Most customers in Calaveras County received power.
In Tuolumne County, the process was painstakingly slow for residents and businesses.
"We can bartend a little bit. Cash only," said Graham Gary, a manager at the Iron Door Saloon. "But we can't serve any food, so we lost a lot of business in that fashion."
The saloon kept its doors open with the help of running a generator.
Though many residents and some restaurants are completely in the dark.
"The food that everybody has is going bad because — unless you have a generator — a lot of people don't have the money to afford generators to keep their refrigerator going," said Ben Denson, a resident.
Some customers lost power for more than 24 hours.
A PG&E spokesperson blamed it on the widespread damage to its equipment.
The question: Is the utility company on the hook for claims?
The utility company told CBS13 said customers can file claims.
However, if it is weather-related without any extenuating circumstances, it is not likely those claims will be paid out, PG&E said.
For Gisler, the explanation is not enough.
Groveland PG&E customers say they lost electricity on the 4th of July.
"So, are we going to be fearful that every time a cloud appears in the sky, the power is going to go off?" Gisler said.
