Florida resident here. Rode out more than one hurricane. Please take this storm seriously. Do not dismiss it with "eh, it's only a tropical storm." You have different problems:
One, You're about to get a very big storm in a very big DESERT where the water does not soak in; it just floods.
Two, most homes and buildings in Florida are built to a strict code where the framing is reinforced with metal clamps at the joints (I've seen this.) You Do Not Have This In California. That's why even "just a tropical storm," that Florida would hardly notice, can still do a lot of damage to YOU.
*If your Southern California home/apartment is up to earthquake code, with extra straps and clamps, you may be in luck. Might want to check to be sure.
Before the storm (like right now:) If no garage is available, park your car well out in the open and far away from trees. (My friend's car survived a Category 5 because he left it in the middle of a big parking lot.) Trees are deadly in these storms. Keep everything away from them as much as possible.
Your fridge is just a big insulated cooler box and food will stay good in there for a while with minimal door opening. Right now, fill up some water bottles 3/4 full and freeze them. They'll help to keep things cold in the fridge and you can drink the water if/when they melt.
Fill up your bathtub with clean water. You can use some for drinking if need be, but mostly it's so you can flush your toilet should the water be shut off. No electricity = no power to the pumps at the water main station.
As much light as you can get. Batteries, small solar-powered lamps, whatever. A generator is great but you can use those things if you don't have one.
Get work gloves because you'll be moving debris afterwards.
Have some books to read or something else to do to pass the time (board games, cards, etc.)
During the storm: First and foremost: STAY AWAY FROM THE BEACHES. DO NOT GO THERE TO WATCH THE STORM, EVEN FROM INSIDE A BUILDING. The storm surge is by far the most dangerous part of a hurricane/tropical storm. The water will recede, due to the force of the winds and the low barometric pressure, and then come rushing back all at once. Even a small surge will drag you far out to sea. A bigger one can wipe a whole town off the map.
This may be "just a tropical storm," but remember: It's hitting the desert areas and the desert floor is just like concrete. The water doesn't soak into the soil; it just collects and creates huge floods. That's why desert towns and cities maintain gigantic washes (gullies) that are dry 99% of the time but flood hugely whenever there is a big storm anywhere near. Flooding is a real danger with this "only a tropical storm."
Ride it out in the interior of your house/apartment. Stay well away from windows. These storms can spawn tornadoes and you will have no way of knowing if one is near or is forming up over your head.
After it's over:
Check on your neighbors and see who is still there and who might need help. I saw that there were a lot of single women and elderly people who did not evac ahead of the storm or immediately after. The men got themselves and their families out, while single women and the elderly had no one to help them and nowhere to go so they stayed put.
Set your phone to "text only" to save the battery. Communicate with people well outside the storm zone who can get you good info on what's going on. You will be in something of a blackout and the rumours will fly. Verify everything!
Clear out as much debris as you can from roads, parking lots, your front door, etc. The way needs to be clear for any emergency responders to get through.
Be careful of who's wandering around afterwards. Looters love to move in right after a storm and see what they can get.
I will ask the mods if we can have a dedicated Hurricane Hildawg thread to answer questions for anyone who is there and can get through. As I said, you will need information from those on the outside so you know what's really going on.
Good luck. Bring it, Hildawg! We're ready for you.
Thank you for this wonderful, comprehensive and helpful post.
When was the last time a tropical storm hit Southern California?
The last time a tropical storm made landfall in California was 84 years ago — before there was a system of naming storms.
The 1939 storm, called El Cordonazo, became the first and only tropical storm to make landfall in the state in the 20th century, according to the National Weather Service. NWS says the storm, which was at one point a hurricane, originated off the southern coast of Central America before moving north and eventually coming ashore at San Pedro, California.
Resulting floods from the storm killed at least 45 people across the Southern California region and caused $2 million in damage to structures and crops, the weather service reports. Another 48 people were also killed at sea. Cities across the Southern California region experienced torrential rains because of the tropical storm — Los Angeles, for example, saw 5.24" in just 24 hours.
"Californians were generally unprepared and were alerted to their vulnerability to tropical storms," NWS said of the storm in its report about significant weather events in Southern California. The weather bureau established a forecast office in Southern California in 1940 after the disaster.
Other powerful storms have hit Southern California, including a hurricane in 1858 that hit San Diego with 75 mph winds, a Category 1. The hurricane, which caused extensive wind damage, is considered the only actual hurricane to hit the West Coast, according to National Weather Service.
In 1997, NWS says Hurricane Linda in the Pacific became the strongest storm recorded in the region, with 180 mph winds and 218 mph gusts. However, it didn't make landfall in California, but as a nearby tropical storm it did cause heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-hilary-forecast-california-tropical-storm-nearly-unprecedented/
I believe the Elite Maggots are using HAARP.
If that’s true then Orange County (the conservative area in SoCal) better watch out. They are seaside.
I have personal experience there in recent years - everything inland from Laguna Beach is pretty safe from any sort of surge, if there was one.
To get inland from Laguna, you have to go up a few miles of significant inclined road before you get into Laguna Hills/Woods and closer to Irvine/other areas of Orange Co.
It's a beautiful place, honestly - and compared to LA, Orange Co. is an island of heaven, politically and geographically. Hope it fares well!
Long Beach might be a different story with something like a surge - but we didn't spend too much time up there.
South of Laguna are a few other areas, like Dana Point - that town has a fair bit down by the water - but in a lot of areas, there are giant cliffs (like 100ft?) that separate inland from the sandy beaches.
Correct!
I grew up in Newport-Mesa and went through the El Ninos of the 80s. I still have a lot of family that lives there.
The Newport peninsula will get flooded, the boats in Newport Harbor will get their docks busted up and mooring lines tested. The rental and vacation waterfront homes will get filled with 5 feet of sand and kelp (karma is a bitch). The dumb people who bought homes in the old Huntington Beach and Seal Beach marshes will get flooded to their rooflines or 2nd floor when the Santa Ana river canals overflow. There will be a lot of whining and finger pointing about this.
The bigger issue will be mudslides in the hills, flash floods undermining roadways, and water on the highways. It's very true that SoCal people don't handle driving in bad weather well. To this day, I hate driving in bad weather ;)
As a side note... do you know that the biggest underground river in the world flows under OC? When the "big one" does finally hit... the game will be called liquefaction. Its fed by the Colorado River and much of the California Aqueduct leverages it. There was a maintenance hatch near my home just outside of Palm Springs that my son and I used to stand on because we could hear the hum of the water rushing through. It sounded just like the huge pipes in the Hoover Dam (if you've ever taken the Damn Dam Tour)
absolutely not true
Thanks, Bones! That was some fascinating information (really.)
Welcome fren. 🚀 I didn't think about flooding vs soaking into the ground.
HOW TO WAKE UP A NORMIE: https://c.tenor.com/W7IWO4RCZuYAAAAd/mccoy-leonard-mccoy.gif 🛸
YEP....sure seems a LOT of folks are causing HARP-Y-WEATHER problems 🔥👿🔥