A storm blowing in...

So, here in Northern California, a storm is blowing in...  The news is saying this is the "big one"... Schools are closing for the day...  

This isn't the biggest storm to hit northern California, and the winds forecast are not that bad, but it is the biggest in 5 or 6 years, so we have 5 or 6 years of problems to discover... and 5 or 6 years of trees that haven't seen a storm...  weak trees, the trees that have grown into power lines, the clogged storm drains, the sump pumps that froze up two years ago from sitting about... Additionally December and early January bring some of our highest tides... tomorrow doesn't look too bad but it all contributes to flooded roads.

This type of storm is called a "pineapple express".... its a Gulf of Alaska cold front meeting a front directly from Hawaii... carrying tropical moisture. When the two hit the coast, and the clouds are force upward as little as a few thousand feet, they drop a significant amount of rain... When they hit the Sierra a bit later they are again, this time higher... and again drop rain... This isn't a particularly cold storm, and the snow level in the Sierra is about 7,000, so I-80 may not see much if any snow... Yosemite will see snow up high, but the Valley will see only rain.

So at least people are preparing... cleaning gutters... making sure the flashlights have batteries...  all the good things...  The list of suggested preparations on TV borders on weird... they are suggesting water... but water lines are not affected by the storm...  and by definition too much water is the issue... if its as bad as they say... They (the TV news) are suggesting tying down lawn furniture... Folks... this is a storm with winds (gusts) up to 60mph...  (the reports of highest wind vary greatly... some reports are saying "up to 50 mph"...  NOAA is saying 20-35 mph with gusts of 50..) in any case not a hurricane... a force 1 hurricane has sustained winds of  74 mph... just saying... Tree limbs will break... but it is unlikely that the Adirondack chair will take flight...

Apparently, sand bags are in short supply...  sand is in short supply... The news is reporting a black market in sand bags...   Stores are running out of flashlights... the news is showing photos of store shelves... my favorite new photos... the guy with a 12 pack of Coke and a bottle of rum...

The surf is up... so the news is out at the Pacifica Pier taking pictures of big waves...  Winds in Fremont have hit 6 mph... (not a typo... newsreaders reported winds of 6 mile per hour...  its a storm... Oh, the horror..) 

In reality, it some places this could be bad... mostly in west Marin and the Santa Cruz Mountains where the storm  will first meet mountains... There are some creeks and rivers which could rise beyond their banks and flood...  There may be mud slides... 

Here at Casa de Hees, we are in pretty good shape... I checked the generator... fueled and started it... bought a spare battery for the flashlights... checked the chain saw and supply of tarps and gathered fire wood... I am particularly proud of the firewood... A nearby city has a pile of wood, trimmings from tree work piled in park for the taking... I went by and split about 1/8 cord... by hand with a sledge and wedges and an axe... filling the back of the jeep... and added it to the fire wood pile...  I have great hopes for the free wood pile after the City cleans up the storm caused mess... but for now I have firewood...  I likely have enough fire wood to last until Christmas...

As of 6:00 pm the rain is starting just south of SFO... So the storm is here...  I ran over to the market for some pantry items... eggs and salsa to make Huevos Rancheros for breakfast tomorrow...  we need to have food available in an emergency...   

Now about 10:00 pm... The winds have started... they are playing hell with Christmas decorations... and 49er's flags... No one seems to care about the 49er's flags...

Just in...  Maybe 80 mph winds... but only in a report about outdoors Christmas decorations... that lacking credibility...  and ... More rain next week... I may need more firewood...I might even plug in the sump pump... or maybe not...

Randy