Blogs

By Kristin Withrow, Communications Specialist, CSDA

In November 2018, the Camp Fire devastated the Town of Paradise, spreading as fast as 80 football fields per minute and destroying 90% of the town’s homes along with critical infrastructure. The Paradise Irrigation District (PID), a special district formed in 1916 and governed by a locally elected board, faced unprecedented challenges. With 95% of its revenue wiped out and its water delivery system severely compromised, the district confronted a complex environmental and communication crisis. PID Assistant District Manager Mickey Rich and District Manager Kevin Phillips shared critical lessons learned from their experience in managing this disaster’s aftermath.

The Extreme Nature of the Camp Fire and Its Impact

The Camp Fire caused immense loss: 85 lives, nearly 19,000 structures destroyed, and 1,200 businesses closed or lost. Besides human and economic tolls, PID’s water infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. While the district’s water treatment plant survived, delivery pipelines were either destroyed or contaminated by backflow. The district quickly faced the challenge of ensuring the community had access to safe water under severely disrupted conditions.

Emergency Communication Toolkit: A Must-Have

Mickey Rich recounted how, in the fire’s immediate aftermath, conventional communication channels collapsed. With no internet, cell service, or postal services available in Paradise for months, staff had to rely on personal devices and improvised methods such as mobile apps (e.g., Canva for messaging visuals) for emergency communication. 

"During the time, the communication lines were shut down, and it was the last thing to come back up," recalled Rich. "I found myself doing a boil water notice from a blow up mattress on my friend's living room floor. It's critical to make sure you have your stuff, like policies and procedures and press contacts somewhere that you can get to it in an emergency - because you may find yourself with only your phone to use in the moment."

Lessons learned include preparing an emergency communication toolkit that covers:

• Backup access to social media accounts and mass email distribution tools.
• Pre-established press contacts and local media relationships.
• Communication methods for no-internet scenarios, including physical messaging like door hangers.
• Building local connections with neighboring districts and agencies before disaster strikes to ensure smoother coordination during emergencies.

Prioritizing Messaging: Water Access and Quality

Kevin Phillips emphasized that water quality was paramount to the community’s concerns. Early messaging focused on issuing a boil water notice after tanks emptied overnight for safety. However, the discovery of potential volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination forced a swift shift to a “do not use” advisory. The district used every available channel — press releases, social media, door-to-door flyers, community meetings, and a dedicated website with daily updates — to keep residents informed.

Key takeaways for messaging included:

• Planning key message scenarios in advance for primary concerns.
• Being transparent about what is known and unknown, which builds trust.
• Delivering consistent, date-stamped updates to ensure clarity over time.

Building and Maintaining Public Trust

The district’s approach to honesty and openness paid off. Despite the ongoing uncertainty and disruption, residents eventually reported higher trust in PID’s tap water than average. This trust was nurtured through regular community engagement at public meetings and press events, providing resources such as refill stations and bottled water, and continually explaining water testing procedures and the progress of recovery. 

Practical Communication Strategies for All Customers

Recognizing that not all residents had access to the internet or cellular service, PID employed multiple communication formats. Door hangers were distributed to homes, flyers and fact sheets were produced, in-person community meetings were held to be accessible for public questions and to provide first-hand information. The district posted to their social media accounts frequently, and they ensured diverse communication channels were utilized for the community members who did not have access to digital resources. 

"Communication is the number one key item, after public safety, in a disaster. It is by far the most important thing you can do, and it's also the hardest thing to do. Because everyone communicates differently," said Phillips

Additional Operational and Coordination Lessons

• Maintain up-to-date customer contact information, including cell numbers and emails ahead of disasters.
• Foster active relationships with cellular providers and emergency agencies to expedite recovery.
• Coordinate closely with other local Public Information Officers (PIOs) and agencies for unified messaging.
• Embrace expertise from emergency support organizations like CalWARN.

Paradise Irrigation District’s experience after the Camp Fire provides critical, practical lessons for other districts preparing for disaster recovery. Developing thoughtful emergency communication tools, prioritizing transparent messaging about service impacts and maintaining diverse outreach methods ensure communities remain informed and supported through devastating events.

"Collaboration is a key point in disaster recovery, with all the other agencies within your region. We cannot mitigate in a silo," explained Phillips. "Communication, plus preparation, plus collaboration equals mitigation."