California burning

"A voracious 6-day-old wildfire that has destroyed more than 50 buildings and churned through more than 105,000 acres of mountainous brush showed only small signs of slowing Monday, and fire officials offered little hope of containment as long as hot, dry conditions continued.

The Station fire, the largest of several burning in the state, was plowing through dense hillside vegetation along the San Gabriel Mountains, cutting a remarkable swath that extended from Altadena into the high desert. On Monday, the fire advanced to the west, bringing new evacuations to Sunland-Tujunga and coming within a few miles of Santa Clarita."

Cali quake storm - hmmm.

"A "swarm", or series, of earthquakes, most of them small, has taken place this late March in Southern California along the infamous San Andreas Fault Zone. While none has been severe, the earthquake swarm raises interesting questions in a region that is always bracing for the "big one"; that is, a catastrophic shake effecting lives and property of millions.
A swarm of earthquakes has been defined as "a series of minor earthquakes, none of which may be identified as the mainshock, occurring in a limited area and time. ". This swarm began on March 21st, 2009, beneath the floor of the Salton Sea off Bombay Beach, California. The swarm continued through at least March 24. Strongest of the tremors was a Magnitude 4.8 shake that happened on the 23d with an epicenter about two and one-half miles south of Bombay Beach. While the M4.8 quake was widely felt, by far most of the quakes had magnitudes below M2.0 meaning that they were unlikely to be felt by most (if not all) people. Focal depth, which represents the starting point within the earth of the rupture triggering the shaking, was mostly between 2 and 5 miles underground. "
LINK

California burning. Again.

" Firefighters on Sunday picked through the devastation wrought by wildfires in two counties on Sunday while struggling to contain another monstrous fire that erupted suddenly in Orange County Saturday. The flames destroyed hundreds of homes and forced more than 10,000 people along the southern coast to evacuate.
...Firefighters were still trying to beat back ferocious wildfires in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara but were beginning to contain them. In the San Fernando Valley, there was fear that as workers sifted through the rubble of a trailer park that was quickly destroyed, an untold number of bodies might turn up. " link

See, this is the kind of thing that makes California seem... worrisome, to me.

"A two-acre patch of land north of Fillmore heated up to 800 degrees Friday, and firefighters and geologists are unsure why.
By Joanna Lin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 5, 2008
A patch of land in Ventura County's Los Padres Forest where the ground heated up to 812 degrees Friday continues to puzzle firefighters and geologists after a month and a half of monitoring."It's a thermal anomaly," said Ron Oatman, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.

...Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres FireWatch, said he had not heard of hot spots in the Sespe Oil Field, but was concerned about their potential effect on the nearby Sespe Condor Sanctuary and the forest's fire-prone nature."It's just a disaster waiting to happen . . . regardless of what the cause is," he said." LINK

5.8 Earthquake just east of LA

"A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 shook large parts of Southern California, shaking a wide swath from Ventura County to San Diego.The quake shook downtown L.A. buildings and was felt as far east as Palm Springs." LINK

Panicked depositors lined up outside IndyMac banks.

"IndyMac Bancorp Inc customers lined up outside a branch at the company's headquarters on Monday, hoping to withdraw their money after regulators seized what was once one of the largest mortgage lenders in the United States.
Several hundred people arrived around 4 a.m., five hours before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp planned to open that branch." LINK

Looks like the '30s. Everything old is new again.

California handing out facemasks in burning areas...Fires growing, fast.

"The fires that bedevil California took another ominous turn as a blaze near Goleta more than doubled overnight to 5,400 acres and triggered more evacuations but has not destroyed any homes.

Mushrooming in size, the Goleta fire was declared a local emergency by Santa Barbara County officials. Because of its proximity to populated areas, it was also designated the top firefighting priority in a state currently plagued with a multitude of fires, some of them burning without intervention in remote areas.

Starting at 10 a.m., face masks will be distributed free to residents who are sensitive to the smoke that hangs over Goleta.

At Big Sur, more than 64,000 acres have burned, 20 structures have been destroyed and about 1,300 are threatened.

"The weather forecast this weekend is for warming and drying conditions," said Greg DeNitto, a spokesman for the multi-agency team fighting the Big Sur blaze. "That's not a good prognosis."

In a period of less than two weeks, at least 1,700 lightning-triggered fires in California have charred more than 513,000 acres. About 100 fires continue to burn. Statewide, more than 10,700 homes are threatened and 34 residences have been destroyed. A new fire Thursday burned at least 250 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest near Yucaipa." LINK

Fires in California could last for months.

"Lower-than-average rainfall and record levels of parched vegetation likely mean a long, fiery summer throughout Northern California, according to the Forest Service's state fire outlook released last week.
The fires burning now could take weeks or months to bring under full control, the report said.
Those blazes were mostly sparked by lightning storms that were unusually intense for so early in the season. But summer storms would probably be even fiercer, according to the Forest Service." LINK

California's flora- headed out?

"Two thirds of California’s unique plants, some 2,300 species that grow nowhere else in the world, could be wiped out across much of their ranges by the end of the century due to rising temperatures and changing rainfall, according to a major new study.

Those plant species that cannot migrate fast enough to higher altitudes or cooler coastal areas could face extinction due to greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet, according to researchers.

California’s flora face a potential “collapse,” said David Ackerly, a plant ecologist at UC Berkeley, who was the senior author of the paper. “As the climate changes, many of these plants will have no place to go.”

Half of the plant species that are unique to the continental United States grow only in the Golden State, from towering redwoods to slender fire poppies. Under likely climate scenarios, many would have to shift as far as 93 miles from their current location — a difficult task given slow natural migration rates and obstacles presented by surburban sprawl." LINK

Midwest flooding still going strong, worse than predicted, California baking in the heat.

"Amid the battle to hold back the swollen Mississippi River, some towns in northeastern Missouri and Illinois got an unwelcome surprise Saturday as river levels rose higher than projected.
National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Miller speculated that forecast models simply had been unable to account for the amount of water flowing into the Mississippi from the three rivers that saw major flooding in Iowa - the Cedar, Iowa and Des Moines rivers.
"Honestly, the models didn't do well with it because it was so far out of the range of normal," Miller said." LINK

And out on the West coast,

"On the second official day of summer and the fourth consecutive day of the heat wave, hundreds of thousands of Angelenos flocked to city pools and beaches as temperatures rose to triple digits in many areas.
...The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had 50 crews working to restore power to about 4,000 customers in North Hollywood, Canoga Park, Reseda, Northridge and other areas.
..."This is a combination of extreme heat and, consequently, extraordinary demands for energy and a strain on our system," Ramallo said. Officials urged people to avoid running major appliances in the afternoon, when energy demand is highest, and to keep thermostats at 78 degrees." LINK

And more wildfires, too!
"Wildfires were scattered around Northern California on Sunday, many of them started by lightning, as crews farther south were close to containing a blaze that had forced thousands to evacuate." LINK

And none shall enter Paradise.

"All roads into the town of Paradise were closed late Thursday evening because of an 8,000-acre wildfire that's forced hundreds of people from their homes.

This is the latest among several fires this week fueled by extreme north winds, heat and low humidity. Dozens of homes and other structures have burned this week in Northern California, with the other big fires located in the Butte County town of Palermo, in Stockton and in eastern Sacramento County." LINK

Swallows dying, reason unknown.

"The recent deaths of nearly 100 cliff swallows near the public dock at Lower Otay Lake – plus five deaths reported yesterday at El Capitan Reservoir – have created a stink and prompted an investigation by the county veterinarian.
“I wouldn't say this is normal to see a colony like that experience such a high number of losses,” said Nikos Gurfield, the county vet.
Gurfield is looking for West Nile virus and avian influenza, two diseases that have captured a lot of attention in recent years, as well as lesser-known possibilities. He said the deaths may be related to a lack of food for the birds, and he's asking for a review from pesticide experts. " LINK

Salmon, headed out, fast.

God how sad.

"The stunning collapse of one of the West Coast's biggest wild salmon runs has prompted even cash-strapped fishermen to call for an unprecedented shutdown of salmon fishing off the coasts of California and Oregon.

But only about 90,000 adult chinook returned to the Central Valley last fall -- the second lowest number on record and well below the number needed to maintain a healthy fishery. That number is projected to fall to a record low of 58,000 this year. By contrast, 775,000 adults were counted in the Sacramento River and its tributaries as recently as 2002.

...Many fishermen and environmentalists believe the main problem lies in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They say too much water is being diverted to farms and water districts in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
"This stock got off-the-charts bad very suddenly," said Donald McIsaac, the council's executive director. "It's a very, very severe situation." LINK

hell is other people

ARSON

Photo:

Santiago Fire from Qual Hill
by Irvine Resident
Your News, SoCal Fire Photos

Link to photo

And California is on fire.

"SAN DIEGO -- San Diego County authorities warned more than 250,000 households to evacuate today as wildfires raged across Southern California for another day, destroying hundreds of structures, clogging highways and sending smoke and ash over a wide area.Schools were closed and hospitals evacuated by bus, and hundreds of people sought refuge in Qualcomm Stadium and other evacuation centers. Fire officials were stretched to their limits trying to cope with the fast-moving, wind-whipped blazes that burned more than 100,000 acres, or about 156 square miles."

Link

Winter storm in California? Yeah, that's weird. Possible storm in the Gulf? Not wierd, but scary.

Considering it's September, and all that.





""The storm is pretty unusual. It's pretty much our first winter storm of the season, and it's barely fall," said Oxnard-based meteorologist Edan Lindaman of the National Weather Service." Link to California winter storm





But this- this is not unusual, but it is scary news for, well, look. The GFDL model has it developing into a Category 1 hurricane before landfall.

16 dead in Cali heat wave. So sad.

"....including an elderly couple who neighbors described as inseparable and sometimes unwilling to turn on their air conditioner because of the expense.

"My cleaning lady recently came down to complain that it was too hot in there to work," Friedman said. "I couldn't force them to turn it on, and their family should have paid if money was an issue. It's just horrible; it could have been prevented."

In Lancaster, the body of Linda Burkhart, 53, was found Sunday in her car by a passerby in the 700 block of West Avenue I, said sheriff's Sgt. Martin Rodriguez.

Burkhart was "in a state of undress" and appeared to be living out of the vehicle, he said. Her body, which was found sitting in a reclined position, was already decomposing."That is not unusual in this heat," Rodriguez said. There was no indication of foul play and an autopsy is pending.

Also Sunday, about 1:10 p.m., the body of Dorothy McGlothan, in her 80s, was found in her apartment on the 900 block of North Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, Winter said. The temperature in her apartment was 115 degrees, he said. "
Link

Whistling in the dark

No power in Barcelona (2nd day of major outages - 350,000 were without electricity) LINK
No power in San Francisco (51,000 affected) LINK
No power in Albania (yes, the entire country) as well as "at least 27 heat-related deaths in Romania, four in Italy, and dozens of houses destroyed by forest fires in Macedonia." LINK

On the other hand, in China, "The flood-battered banks of the Huaihe River are at risk of washing away, posing a grave threat to the homes of millions of people, Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Torrential rains have wrought havoc across large parts of China this summer, most recently in the southwest and the east, killing more than 500 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.

More rain has been forecast. " LINK

The UK flooding: "Britain's flood victims are facing further misery with Government officials warning water levels are still to peak in many areas, while forecasters predict another deluge of heavy rain.

As a massive humanitarian operation to supply fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people gets underway in central and western England, it has also emerged that the worst floods in modern history had claimed their first lives.

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, warned last night that the crisis along parts of the river Thames was still expected to worsen.

More rain will stretch the emergency operation even further. The Met Office has predicted rain today, heavier downpours on Thursday and then the threat of persistent heavy rain stretching through the weekend. " LINK

California drought effects being seen in wildlife.

This California drought is prettty awful- 25% of normal rainfall has fallen this year in the LA area, and of course, that is having an impact on the flora and fauna.

""We don't have poppies this year. This is about the worst we've seen," she said. "It's desert-brown."

The relentlessly dry weather has made this a spring like no other across the region, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.

The effects of the prolonged dryness can be seen and felt all around. Seasonal ponds are cracked dry, leaving no haven for some frog eggs or fairy shrimp to hatch. Some flower-dependent butterflies are staying dormant for another season.

Plants aren't bearing berries; some oak trees aren't sprouting acorns. Bees are behaving strangely.

The problem is apparent in Ventura County, where ranchers are selling their cattle early or thinking about moving them to other states. Ranchers' lands, starved of rainwater, have not grown the natural grasses key to feeding cattle through the spring and summer." LINK

LA takes eco-friendly shopping totes to predictable absurd heights, but still, this seems like a good thing.

This is somewhere between laughing, crying, and cheering.

"There's paper. There's plastic. Then there's the $960 reusable Hermes shopping bag.

Originally designed for discerning Europeans, it hits America this summer, and if it sounds like an exotic fluke, consider the new $843 grocery tote by Italian designer Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni.

Or the $495 organic cotton canvas shopper, due out in June from Stella McCartney.

Or the now-famous I'm Not a Plastic Bag by the British handbag designer Anya Hindmarch, which has been selling at more than 10 times its $15 price on EBay.

A spokeswoman for Hermes, for example, said that their new Silky Pop, a hand-wrought silk tote that collapses into a wallet-size pouch of calfskin, was intended as a high-end alternative to the extra fold-up shopping bag that many European women already carry in their purses. ("Say you're out walking. You decide to pick up a few apples, you pull out your bag," she explained, then quickly added: "Though obviously, Hermes clients usually aren't shopping for their own groceries.")

This month's Vogue mentions all four in a call to arms of sorts, urging fashionistas to become more bag-wise: "No loitering, girls," contributing editor Sarah Mower exhorted. "Today, let us go out and harness the power of fashion to change the way the nation shops. One stylish act of rebellion in supermarkets, delis, drugstores and designer emporiums and at market stalls is all it takes: Say no to plastic bags. Whip out your own brilliant alternative. Make people stare. Break a habit. Set a trend."" LINK