It was a fast moving storm, water got spread out. That’s a good thing. Then there’s the morning after, we clean up and try to rebuild. Looks like roads got buried, more than undercut and washed out, at least haven’t heard about serious wash-outs and busted bridges - I wonder how that will play out when officials have a chance to assess.
The real significance of this storm is that it’s another reminder, all previous bets are off.
Who’da thought hurricanes could so easily line up the west coast, . . . when conditions were right?
Why be surprised?
In one of the previous videos I shared, they showed ocean temperature off the coast of Baja then north towards LA. The drop was significant from 80ish, to 66 off the coast of Los Angelas. That was like putting the brakes on.
https://oehha.ca.gov/epic/impacts-physical-systems/coastal-ocean-temperature
Coastal ocean temperature
Ocean waters along California’s coast are warming.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019JC015673
A Century of Southern California Coastal Ocean Temperature Measurements
Linda L. Rasmussen, Melissa L. Carter, Reinhard E. Flick, Mary Hilbern, James T. Fumo, Bruce D. Cornuelle, Bonnie K. Gordon, Lee F. Bargatze, R. Lee Gordon, John A. McGowan
First published: 15 April 2020
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015673
When those ocean temperatures get towards 80s, then we get into conditions that help feed hurricanes, rather than putting the brakes on, as happened with Hurricane Hilary. It all comes down to physics.
Southern California got a gentle wake up call, welcome to the new normal.
How long will our economic engine be able to keep up?
This is why, from a mental health perspective, I need to focus on living today, one day at a time, because the future offers precious little hope, at least from a grand historical stage. But, that still leaves us with today and our individual worlds and those people we must deal with regularly. Striving to be a positive, constructive member of our local, regional society. Enjoying the fun and surprises of actually working with people whom you know to say hello to, but nothing more. Then spend a few days, or weeks or years, or not, just a few hours, working together on shared projects and goals.
I’ve always found the experience precious and lasting, with individuals who barely knew each other, walking away with connections and shared memories. It’s a beautiful thing. When I young, tramping or some odd job that had me “battling” rough weather, I used to glory in it, whether my “Friendly Adversary” came to my mind more than once. But, that was the last of the good old days, '70s, '80s, here in the 2020s weather is turning into a vicious, perhaps even vengeful, monster. Simple physics, wishing it weren’t so, just makes one stupid and self destructive, and worthless, not to mention in the way, for the coming struggles. At least I have the feeling things are going to start moving frightened fast. I wish with all my heart and soul I was wrong, but my brain just won’t let me. Our, that is human global society, our big battle is lost. But, that’s not the end of humanity. And the next battles can only won with ruthless fidelity to honestly understanding and confronting physical reality - that is our planet Earth and her biosphere.
Here’s blast from the past, 1999
