Fires, mudslides, frost, oh my!
Friday, December 7th, 2007
It’s been a nerve-wrenching few months for many So Cal residents this year. A rash of wildfires seemed to nearly take over the bottom third of the state, dry, hot winds blew toxic ash about, more fires during the holidays, and then blessed rain. Or not so blessed, because a fierce storm was expected to dump 3-4 inches of rain all at once, making a nice mud soup that might have wiped out the homes that the fires missed. It would have driven any homeowner to madness, watching breathlessly as their homes were nearly charred by fire after fire, only to come back home and be swallowed by 20 tons of mud.
Thankfully, the violent storm brushed past without any mishaps, so authorities are hoping they can cancel their mandatory evacuation orders over the weekend, when three more days worth of rain is expected. Some canyon residents have already voluntarily evacuated themselves, but others are determined to stick it out and only leave if forced. Orange County canyons that had been affected by the fire are still under evacuation as a precaution, and parts of San Diego are still on flash flood alert, but many other areas have been put in the clear. San Bernadino’s flash flood warning was lifted this morning, despite 3 inches of rain and various rocks and debris on the snaking mountain roads.
Still, despite the collective sigh of relief around here, traffic accidents are still on the rise. Either driving too fast for visibility or not leaving enough space between vehicles to account for the slippery, wet roads, the careless are putting theirs and your innocent lives at stake. So please, be careful out there and remember safe is always better than sorry.
Read more here.
