Telecommunications Outage Report: Northern California Firestorm 2017

[Sean Donelan <sean () donelan com>]

A report on the telecommunications outages that affected Mendocino, Napa 
and Sonoma Counties in the wake of the devastating fires of 2017.

http://www.mendocinobroadband.org/wp-content/uploads/1.-NBNCBC-Telecommunications-Outage-Report-2017-Firestorm.pdf


[...]
Results show that in the 3-county area, 66% of residents lost landline 
services, 74% of residents lost cellular services, and 66% of residents 
lost Internet services with Napa County experiencing the most severe 
impacts. The 3-county average of service loss for these combined 
technologies is 71%. Many of these outages impacted residents that were 
geographically far from the actual burn areas.


[...]
During the 2017 wildfires, there were no forms of communications or 
technologies that worked better than the rest. Each method used for 
emergency notification played a crucial role in preparing residents for 
disaster. Technologies used by residents varied from many conventional
methods to many non-conventional forms of communications. Regardless of 
the ways residents were notified, collectively the different methods 
played a major role in saving lives.


[...]
In the entire 2017 Northern California wildfires’ footprint, it is
estimated that 160,000 wireline and 85,000 wireless customers lost 
service, including 11-15 Public Safety Answering points losing service. 
Over 340 cell sites were completely destroyed or damaged.

[...]
Internet outages affected (22) internet provider services over the 
3-county region; however, not all (22) providers are available within each 
County.


[...]
When you evacuated your residence, how did you receive warning/notice to
evacuate?

did not receive any warning from anyone outside my own home (23.48%)
other response (17.15%)
received a phone alert of some kind (text alert, amber alert) (15.67%)
received a phone call from a neighbor, family, friend (13.52%)
received warning from a neighbor physically at my door (12.05%)
received warning from public safety official physically at my door (6.88%)
received a reverse 9-1-1 call (3.5%)
heard sirens/bullhorns/public safety officials outside my home (3.44%)
received notice on the radio (2.03%)
heard a power outage alarm at my home (1.23%)
received notice from a press event (0.86%)
received notice from a ham radio operator (0.18%)