Until this area has the equipment to handle the effects of the latest storms, safety should be paramount. Since this is rare, having such equipment ready to go is expensive, and everyone would be complaining about wasted money just sitting there unused when it's not needed.  Danged if they do, danged if they don't, in this sue-happy world, These same folks would complain if a delivery driver got stuck and blocked the roads trying to get to these higher elevation homes.   It's called planning.  Folks were advised to avoid travel.  Some did anyway, resulting in hundreds of  police calls for idiots who thought they were better drivers than they really were. I err on the side of safety.  If the complainers didn't live up steep hills they could mitigate their risk of not getting daily mail.  Their choice.  If getting mail is so danged important to them, they should get a PO Box and go get their own mail.  No mail for a couple of days??  Oh, the horror. Try going without power for a week..