The California wildfires are top of mind for many people. The loss of live and property destruction is to say the least, disturbing. Sadly, these types of events are becoming increasingly common.
Weather forecasters strive to do their best to warn residents and government officials of pending danger, but are people listening? That’s one of the subjects of today’s post.
A personal note: Thirty years ago, I lived in Southern California. Although wild fires weren’t as prevalent as they are today, I experienced a fire-related evacuation. My community of Laguna Beach lost hundreds of homes, and subsequent to the fires, mud slides became an issue.
I remember intently watching the news as the fires progressed through the open land of Laguna Canyon. Compared to the LA fires, this one was relatively slow moving.
Still, there was simply no telling whether the wind direction would be favorable or ill-fated. No evacuation order had been issued, but it seemed prudent to prepare for the worst. So just in case, I loaded up my car and prepped what I thought could survive being submerged in my pool.
The evacuation order eventually came and we waited through the night to see if our house would survive. We were fortunate, but it made clear that living in one of the most beautiful places on earth was also a double-edged sword.
#severeweather #wildfires #weatherforecast #climatechange #climatechangeisreal #accuweather #nationalweatherservice