Loyal blog reader Susan in Australia sent a link to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Web site that shows some of the areas in and around Brisbane before and during the recent floods. You can mouse over to see what they looked like dry, then flooded. Clever graphics.
Recently the Los Angeles Times reported that California could soon be in for what is called a Super Storm. These storms occur on a regular basis according to geologic evidence. As much as TEN FEET! of rain could fall in a short period which would simply demolish much of the state. Over a period of only a few days an “atmospheric river” flowing in from the Pacific Ocean could bring in moisture equal to 50 Mississippi Rivers!Sacramento sits amidst something like 1,500 miles of levees. They would be washed away, leaving the state capitol devastated. (Now if the flood could also wipe out the state’s deficit, it might be worth the trouble.)
Here in the foothills, a Super Storm would leave us isolated for sure. We have two ways out of our valley: One is a narrow road that climbs a very cliffy hill which would surely disappear in a series of landslides; the other is across the Chowchilla River over a war-surplus portable steel bridge that one of our neighbors commandeered from a National Guard unit and got the county road department to install and maintain. Its approaches are lower than the bridge itself and in the past have washed out, leaving nothing but immense heaps of boulders and cobbles at both ends of the still-standing bridge.
So that means we had better get ready to sit on our hands for a few weeks until the rest of the United States finally takes pity on goofy arrogant self-righteous California and starts flying in rations. We ourselves could prepare by stockpiling things like rice, beans, freeze-dried lobster, macadamia nuts, and wine. Why wine? Well, beer doesn’t stay fresh for long. But I guess we could just keep drinking it starting with the old stuff and keep stockpiling fresh stuff until the disaster occurs. We might actually enjoy the whole experience. It would certainly provide lots of blogging material. If there’s still an Internet, that is.
Graphics: Australian Broadcasting Corporation/AP Photo/National Weather Service
