AND THEN CAME THE RAIN
We are back safe in Ridgway, Colorado. We have escaped the Thomas fire, the largest wildfire in California history by the thinnest line, just a half mile from the house. Then, on January 6 we received a warning on the phone of possible flooding and landslides above Montecito where our home sits. Nori and I spent the next couple of days glued to the computer watching KEYT.com for live coverage as the huge boulders, mud, ash and debris rolled down Hot Springs Road from Hot Springs, San Ysidro, and Romero canyons, destroying everything in their path.
Highway 101, the main north-south artery through the region is closed indefinitely. The power is off at about 1,500 homes, gas and water are off in Montecito. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for a significant portion of Montecito to allow the Corps of Engineers to move in heavy machinery to open roads, search for victims, and repair gas, water, and power lines.
It is a very serious and grim situation. The flash flooding, the first rain since April, came in 2 and 3 inch deluges, soaking the ashen hillsides already denuded of any vegetation after the Thomas fire. It couldn't have been a more awful combination. Now all the beaches are closed from Summerland to Goleta. Bacteria, chemicals, and toxic debris have choked the roads, fields, and then flooded into the ocean in front of town.
It will take a long time to clean up. At this time, 20 people are confirmed dead, 5 are still missing, 70 homes have been wiped away, hundreds more filled with mud, and most without power or water. It is unbelievable.
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7 comments:
I am so glad that you & Nori are safe and that your home was spared. I miss you two!
Xoxo, Karla
Glad you are safe!
Chris & Karla,
Thanks for the kind words. We are the lucky ones. So many others are out of their homes.
Ralph! You won't remember me, but I was an Interp ranger at Denali. Was working for a while covering the receptionist position at HQ when you got word of the new job in Kotzebue. I've always wanted to go there. My partner lived in Santa Barbara for over 40 years; we watched fires come very close to the house and we've been glued to the Thomas & mudslide events as they unfold. So many friends affected and always glad to hear that those we know are safe & sound.
You have led a wonderful and charmed life, my friend, and well deserved! So glad that you not only were out of town, but that your home was spared. If you need to find some seasonal joy in nature, come on up to Jackson, it is actually skiing pretty well now (oh, except for a few nasty big slides...)
One of the many tight spots you have been in over the years, only this time it wasn't because of someone else's miscalculation. Thinking of you and Nori when Di and I were hiking in Natural Bridges, last place we got to talk on that random meeting. Be in Cedar Mesa again in spring if Trump admin hasn't sold it yet. Are you doing any canyoneering? Nice climbing/caving mix and good reason to buy more books. Did a quick tour of SW CO pots shops on the way home and blew through Ridgeway. we were headed for the barn by then. Haven't seen Yvon lately so don't know how Ventura weathered the storm(s). Daughter in Santa Cruz just got the rain part, but she's selling her place in the hills and moving down into town. We've dodged that bullet here for several years. Don't get rid of your Nomex! Cheers KB
Beth,
Yes, I remember you well. Where are you and your partner now? Did you stay in Alaska?
Peter,
I hope to see you soon. Nori says she somehow connected with you through McDuff Everton in Santa Barbara recently.
Keith,
Patagonia corp employees were hit very hard. I believe 30 lost their homes. It is truly a disaster. We'll see you soon in Jackson; the skiing is pretty bony here.
Cheers to all,
Ralph
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