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Even before Katrina I wondered why people would choose to live below sea level and below the level of the Mississippi in New Orleans. Eventually the laws of gravity and nature win. I wonder the same about the area you just described. Doesn't sound like the smartest choice to me to choose to live in a flood zone
Not if you can't be bothered to build proper flood protection, no. The Netherlands seem to be doing OK. As do large parts of my home country. But flood protection is serious business, always has been - there's an old saying: "Den der ikke vil dige, maa vige" - poorly translated, "See to your dyke or prepare to hike".
The article does not say WHEN this superstorm will hit. I think it is a bunch of hypothetical nonsense!
It occures about every 150 yers. There are MANY past occurances to chart. Its also noted that its about due. The far greater chance of it happening is also mentioned due to warmer seas and more moisture in the air. As someone who grew up in socal and lived there most of my life, that ocean moisture is a very major influence on weather there.
The earthquake is also predicted in a range of years and this is also based on seismic activity in the Palm Springs/Salton Sea area which is the likely epicenter (less than 50 miles from where I used to live). The good thing about the storm is that you have time to react and act. The Big one...its going to come and shake and aside from the first groan of the earth and a split second of awareness that is is. Its all luck, where you are and if the building is going to fall on your head.
Scientific and natural happenings can be predicted and with some accuracy, but you can't say things precicely. Its a warning to think of how the problem can be handled, what has not been done, and to be ready when it comes.
Not if you can't be bothered to build proper flood protection, no. The Netherlands seem to be doing OK. As do large parts of my home country. But flood protection is serious business, always has been - there's an old saying: "Den der ikke vil dige, maa vige" - poorly translated, "See to your dyke or prepare to hike".
A very large part of the problem in places like socal is you can't build without the risk. Its areas like the beaches and canyons where rivers run that you can't prevent flooding. The whole of south Orange county is a flood plane for the Santa Ana riveer which is fed by multiple mountain streams with one old dam in the way. Thats all. So its not so simple as saying flood prevention everywhere.
The real problem is that areas like mid to south OC should NEVER have become population centers because if the river has one of those years and blows the dam its going to be one big wet and soggy flood plain with no way to get out but a rowboat. We have to make wiser decisions on where to build too.
One example which comes to mind if the main freeway which comes in the costal portion of San Diego. If you know even a tiny bit about geology you know its a river channel. Its typical of socal type rivers in that most of the year it would have been dry. But when the runoff and rains come, it swelled to the whole canyon. If the flood contol system ever fails there will simply not be a freeway anymore and everything downstream and low will be under water.
Smart choices matter. The Army Corp of engineering did a long study and report of the risk of flooding on the Santa Ana river. They reccomended keeping the channel free of sand, first off, which has apparently been more or less done. It's trucked out and dumped on Newport beach. But they also reccomended a greenbelt with a catch basis so if it did flood it would ONLY flood there. But that would take out some of the most choice housing in south OC so of course the roll of the dice is played. If we really wanted flood control they offered a way which would work even if the dam went. But too much comercial interest would be lost so we all hope it doesn't. Got a friend who lives there still and I too hope it doesn't.
Part of the reason for the one third of housing flooded prediction is that in socal especially many places were built upon which would never have if there were not dams and drought. Rain comes in large amounts and rivers swell and the canyons are mud. The channels spill over and you have massive flooding. It wasn't not planning for it but just planning for the normal weather and normal dry weather alone that is going to tell.
Last edited by nightbird47; 01-17-2011 at 05:00 PM..
Reason: editor thought I said a bad word. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Seems like this superstorm is stronger than a category 5 hurricane.
If it and winter santa ana winds happened (Spanish called them the "devil" winds) it could blow like one. I used to live in the wind corridor there and strong winds are a given any time of year. They are more a given if there are storms outside the area. Moving to Ok I was told I'd hate the winds. My reaction? What wind?
Call out Algore and all his workers so they will know about the possibility that a "superstorm" could hit California this winter. This story is scary but I am protected by two major mountain ranges from this storm so only you people who live in California have to worry. Well those with money invested in the wrong parts of California or who want to visit there might want to worry a bit about it. The amount of money that is mentioned in the article scares me more than anything.
Scientists warn California could be struck by winter ‘superstorm’ - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110117/us_yblog_thelookout/scientists-warn-california-could-be-struck-by-winter-superstorm - broken link)
Quote:
The amount of money that is mentioned in the article scares me more than anything.
Really? Interesting. Or should I say...... telling?
Did you read the article? Your "could hit this winter" is a bit of a spin. Yes, it "could" but the article is not that specific about it. From your link:
Quote:
Such a superstorm is hypothetical but not improbable, climate researchers warn. "We think this event happens once every 100 or 200 years or so, which puts it in the same category as our big San Andreas earthquakes," Geological Survey scientist Lucy Jones said in a press release.
And, yeah, I think you should give ole Algore a call. I'm sure he'd be delighted to hear your spin on this issue.
If it and winter santa ana winds happened (Spanish called them the "devil" winds) it could blow like one. I used to live in the wind corridor there and strong winds are a given any time of year. They are more a given if there are storms outside the area. Moving to Ok I was told I'd hate the winds. My reaction? What wind?
Some southern California came to Kansas to visit some relatives several years ago and when we had one of our thunder storms they loaded up the next day and went home. They just couldn't stand all the lightning and thunder.
I wonder how many people here know that you live very close to tornado alley.
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