The repairs of the Oroville & Anderson Dams the Pfieffer Bridge, Wildfires and the Mud Creek slide read all about it!

                             There are over 2,000 dams in the state of California. 

 Oroville Dam: November 1st, 2017 is the original date set for completion of the first phase of repairs, that date was set to repair the most critical parts of the compromised dam. The rains typically start around that date, the goal is to ensure that the spillway, which is the highest priority component to be repaired, be able to sustain a flow of 100,000 cubic feet per second.

Six month's later, the repairs on the Oroville Dam are being
completed, mostly on time.

The California Department of Water Resources claims the capacity will be much higher upon completion of the entire re-design of the Dam. To meet that goal the upper stretch of approximately 750 feet will be lined with structural concrete, the middle section of 1050 feet will be filled with roller-compacted structural concrete. 100,000 cubic yards of RCC (roller compacted concrete) has been deposited into the huge void, it needs 200,000 cubic yards more to complete. The repairs to the damaged hillsides on each side of the destroyed spillway is not a priority, they will be backfilled upon completion of the most critical path tasks. 350 feet of the bottom spillway was removed and replaced, the upper 730 feet was left in place with minor repairs being made.   There were three goals made to be completed by November 1st.
  1)  Replace the lower spillway and
  2)  middle spillway sections, both appear to be on schedule for the Nov. 1 deadline. (Click this Link for information on what has been involved in the repairs.)
  3)  installing a cutoff wall at the bottom of the chute, it will not be completed by the deadline, the goal is now for completion in January 2018.
  It's a big job, it's not been without criticism, of course, I'm not informed or possess the knowledge to determine how well repairs are going, or what the problems are or were. But from my viewpoint, it appears the Dam will be ready for the rain, and that's what really matters. Looking back on the evacuations and the way the response was handled, I am OK with all of that, the people in the decision making positions made a good call, they got the people out even though the Dam did not burst.
  Anderson Dam: Creating a large reservoir by the containment of Coyote Creek, the dam overflowed during the heavy rains of the past winter. The excessive water rose to a level that caused it to overflow and spill into the river and community on the banks of the Creek. Prior to the excessive rain season, seismic upgrades were approved and ready for work to commence after the water level was reduced to 68%. This cap will not be lifted until the retrofitting is completed, it's scheduled to begin in 2020 with completion in 2024, it was in the works prior to the overflow. The river has been dredged and the levees have been improved as well as all of the debris removed that was in the riverbed.

The Anderson Dam on Coyote Creek, this photo was taken
February 19, 2017. 

The overflow was caused by an extreme amount of rain after suffering a long drought, we don't think about clearing waterways prior to the rainy season. Santa Clara is dealing with this infrastructure repair well, and have addressed the flooding issues as well. I am sure litigation is ongoing between the residents and City, State, and Government entities. It does appear new methods of alerting people to evacuate have been enacted, one is a reverse 911 system, it's not perfect, some residents will be alerted in the middle of the night, not in the disaster zone. The alert system will work fine, a few minor inconveniences to unaffected areas may just save lives where the flooding is occurring, the Government agencies are concerned about the people, and that's good.
  Pfieffer Canyon Bridge: The bridge had a full opening October 13, 2017, the collapsed bridge was completely torn down and replaced in a time period of 7 months. Typically a construction job of this size would take around 6-7 years to complete, to build a single-span steel girder structure of that size and where it was located is just short of amazing. The completed construction including repair of the canyon and the surrounding hillsides came in at an estimated cost of $24 million, The Pfieffer Canyon Bridge on Highway 1 is North of the Mud Creek landslide at the southern end of the highway. Highway 1 remains closed due to the landslide and is scheduled to open at the end of summer 2018. A bridge is being constructed over the slide, so much material ended up on the highway and beach it made clearing the road impractical. A bridge is estimated to be much more cost-effective, on that stretch of highway landslides are common. Work on these projects is coming along very well, the Pfieffer Bridge is complete, the Mud Creek slide bridge needs more time, but it's coming along well.

Pfieffer Canyon Bridge, a big job in a very tough and
challenging environment, it is completely finished.

  California Wild Fires: Still in the digging out phase, reconstruction will take many years until completion. There are 6,000 homes in need of being totally built from the ground up, that is not including the many businesses and unoccupied infrastructure buildings. I heard on the news channel this morning the final flames have been extinguished, October 29, 2017,
  In Sonoma County 1485 missing person reports were issued, 1250 have been found, the whereabouts concerning the remaining 235 is still unknown. Some are out of touch due to power failures and cell tower problems. My neighbors have a friend that has been isolated on a mountaintop since the fires, she is a retired firefighter. This lady cleared the land around her cabin, about 200 feet all around it, she weathered the firestorm well and survived, she was unable to communicate until Thursday of this week. (October 26, 17') So if that's an indication there are more people in their homes far up in the isolated mountains and valleys. (CalFire has suggestions for clearing to prepare for wildfire Link.) Sonoma County had 22 deaths reported, that number may change. Authorities are now in the discovery phase, beginning to figure out what the causes were as well as reviewing their response to the disasters. There is a lot of work to be done from all angles, and the most important issues are making sure the residents are being addressed which it appears is happening.  To second guess the people faced with evacuating and notifying people to evacuate is out of place, especially now knowing it was the worst disaster to ever occur in California. Much like Hurricane Harvey in Houston the unpredictable size of the Catastrophic emergency is certain to set the most experienced and most educated response personnel on their heels, which these disasters seceded in doing.
  For now, the victims of the Wildfires are sifting through ashes, clearing lots and searching for loved ones, they will be living in temporary housing for several years at least. FEMA is concentrating on building a list of survivors and getting them registered, there is no tally yet on the amount of help or temporary housing that will be needed. As it is right now, there is no direction to go but up, and they are rising to the occasion.
  I'm not sure how the budget for disaster relief is holding up, the combined events surely are taxing the system, this may be the beginning of an entirely new priority in the Federal Governments funding of FEMA. There is no way the Federal Government will be able to make all of the victims "whole", new ideas and philosophies will need to be implemented or we may risk breaking the treasury if these Catastrophic events continue at this alarming pace. The National Flood Insurance program will be looked at for sure, I keep reading how the insurance payments should be raised to realistic levels, the last time it was looked at my flood insurance would rise to around $20,000.00 a year. It is estimated 45% of the population of the United States live in a flood zone, many don't know they do. I read about a Lady in Los Angelos who's house was on a levee, she did not know she lived on a levee let alone in a flood zone. The bill to increase the cost of flood insurance was rescinded before the increase was imposed. We can expect a political battle over flood and hazard insurance.

A photo of the Mud Creek landslide on Highway 1, the
plan is to build a bridge over and around the large amount
of debris.

  There will be more Catastrophic events this year, it would be nice if they were spread out a little bit more, especially the areas that were hit with two or more events. Winter is coming, my sister lives near Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota, she told me they woke to 50 miles an hour winds, and a blizzard, it sounds like a recipe for a big spring flooding season in the north.
  Thanks for reading and sharing, this is meant as a short update of California's recent disasters, leave a comment on what you have experienced or are preparing for, or just say Hi! thanks.
jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com
   

Chronic insomnia, the two sleep pattern, our ancestors did not sleep the same way we do, it's all different read how here.

  I was an insufferable insomniac, I fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, but 3-4 hours later I would wake up and lay there. I sometimes I would get out of the bed and sit in the living room reading or watching something on T.V. After two hours, sometimes three, I would return to bed and fall asleep again, then wake in an hour or so and go about my day. I sleep better now, I have found that medical marijuana puts me directly to sleep, and helps control the constant pain I am in. I only use about 1/2 dose, I fall right to sleep. If you are interested in more information on sleep click this link.
  What if I were to tell you that at one time our ancestors slept in that identical pattern? What if I were to also state that they would get out of bed at around 2 am and complete chores around the farm or shop? If you were to hear that it was considered to be so very "normal" and that it was referred to only as a matter of fact.

Having two periods of sleep is not that unusual, don't despair
if you wake in the middle of the night, we may be the "normal"
ones..

  All of these things are true, during the early 1990's Psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment. A group of people were sent into darkness every day for 14 hours, for a period of one month. After a while the patients' sleep had settled into a pattern, they would sleep for four hours, then wake up and stayed awake for 1-2 hours, then surrendered to another 4 hours of sleep. As it ends up, this may be the most "normal" sleeping pattern of humans, the 8-hour undisturbed sleep may be a learned or forced habit. This Link talks about going back to the two sleep periods.
  There are many references to the "second" sleep throughout history, most noticeably in Homer's Odyssey as well as modern tribes in Nigeria. The first sleep would commence about 2 hours after the sun went down, they would awaken a few hours later and stay awake for 2-3 hours. It sounds a bit like the midnight refrigerator raids we've seen on commercials and cartoons. However, during this period of being awake, the people would carry on with their activities. Often visiting neighbors they would walk through the night with lanterns, a very dangerous task in those days. Darkness has always been associated with unsavory characters wandering around, wild animals, and the darkness itself concealing all sorts of dangers. Many people walking through the dead of night would fall into creeks or streams and drown, their heavy outer garments dragging them below the surface.

Don't worry Mom, I'll be back around 3am.

  They would also work on the farm, completing chores, milking cows, and a whole array of activities. The fact they would be wandering around in the night with a kerosene lantern or a candle was an incredibly dangerous activity. Some modern-day Amish still to this day practice two periods of sleep, one of their concerns is the lantern. When dealing with animals in a straw-filled barn and carrying a lantern it's easy to startle them. One of the dangers is being kicked or butted and the lantern falls to the floor, shatters and starts the flammable barn and materials inside on fire.
  People also stayed in bed, reading, writing letters, smoking, praying and often took advantage of the time for intimacy. The time awake was rarely if ever spent alone, everyone would wake up. Doctors manuals written in the 15th and 16th century's recommended the awake period as the best possible time for conceiving a child. However staying awake all night was expensive, lighting had to be maintained, candles were expensive, even the wealthy did not want to waste their money on them. There is no prestige or social recognition related to staying up all night, they were just awake burning candles. Another social pressure came into play, during Reformation religions began holding their worship sessions in secret after dark, to avoid persecution. In years prior evil prowled the streets at night, searching for whatever was worth more than what they had in their pockets, which was everything. When the faithful began occupying the night streets, the crooks, thieves, and undesirables went somewhere else.

They had to hide their religion, in doing so they may have
made the night streets safe, they drove the crooks inside.

  Some people (like me, and my father did as well) still exhibit the two sleep pattern, it seems to be inert, a lasting effect from our ancestors perhaps? In the "olden" days, our grandparents or their parents most likely used this sleep pattern, our great-grandparents certainly did our grandparents may or may not have. (My grandparents were born in the 1880's, I'm confident their parents practiced two periods of sleep) Many people in the modern age don't realize when they wake up at night there is no need to fret and toss and turn, it may be more normal than we think. In fact it is possible to adopt the two sleep pattern again, however, our electric world must be left behind, this pattern may be driven by the normal rhythm of life, the sun rising and setting. Some people have tried changing their sleep habits, it takes a while but it is achievable, what they found was interesting but not too surprising. In the winter there was a lot more darkness, leading to a lot more sleep time and a lot more sleep. Typically people will go to bed earlier, around 8:30, then sleep for a 3-6 hour period and wake up around 2:00 am. The moderns experiencing this would light the candle, typically stay in bed and read. On occasion, many would get out of bed and do mostly the same thing our ancestors did, read, write, study and of course that as well. It leads one to believe our ancestors did not "develop" the two sleep pattern, it occurred naturally due to extended darkness, sleeping comes naturally. Two periods of sleep appears to be a by-product of excessive darkness. Link
  It's difficult to say why the two sleep pattern ended, it is suspected electricity had a lot to do with it, some believe the industrial revolution had it's influence on the habit as well. As productivity increased the feeling of "running out of time" began to be widespread, night shifts were put on, people started to work long shifts. With the long shifts came chronic exhaustion, 10-18 hour days doesn't leave much energy left to wake up at night and dilly dally around at all hours of the night. It may have been as simple as people not wanting to or not having the money to spend on lighting, oil and candles were very expensive. Not having to tend to a fire all night may also have had something to do with its demise, again related directly to the industrial revolution when safer heaters were being fabricated, the "Ben Franklin" stove being one of these much more efficient stoves. People also moved to the city's, that's where the opportunity existed, people go to where the work is, they left the farm and endless chores behind. There simply was no more need for people to tend to animals or chores in the middle of the night, they became "citified".
  I first heard about two periods of sleep about 10 years ago, there was a documentary on one of the channels (History maybe) titled "Afraid of the Dark", I watched it several times. That's when I realized my sleep pattern may be a natural rhythm and the way we are supposed to sleep. That realization did not help my chronic fatigue at all, but it helped me to accept what was going on with my sleep "problem". I could very easily return to it, however, I have found sleeping through the night has it's advantages as well, the big advantage is feeling rested. I do remember when I was young waking up in the night and going downstairs to find my Dad sitting in a chair smoking (those dangable) cigarettes, we would talk. He would say the same things I would tell people when I was asked why I was up all night, he would say "I've never been able to sleep through the night, I have insomnia." If he was still around I would tell him he was much more normal than he suspected.

It's good being "Normal". 

  I could return to my old pattern, if someone would only get up with me and visit for a few hours from 2-4 am, I imagine my wife will not volunteer for this experiment. I do still wake up at 4:30 am every morning, I lay there and think about what I'm going to blog about when I get out of bed.
  Thanks for reading and sharing, it's estimated 1/3 of the population either purposely or surrendering to their natural rhythm's have two periods of sleep, they may be a little more "normal" (I laugh at the word normal, what is that?) than the rest of the population. I kind of like being awake when no one else is, that's the advantage if you happen to be an introverted loner like me.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Water purification methods for waterborne pathogens and waterborne diseases, boiling works for these, chlorine maybe.

  Water in a compromised situation must be left on a rolling boil for no less than 1 minute, that's one minute after the water is actively boiling. At higher altitudes, such as when backpacking in the mountains,(>6,562 feet or 2000 meters) the water must boil for no less than 3 minutes. There are very few methods to sanitize contaminated water than boiling as it is 100% effective in removing Pathogens. Science Daily defines Pathogens here Link.

It's pretty, it's cold, it's clear and it's most likely contaminated
with Giardia, or some other Pathogen.

  Filtration may be used as a method to reduce most micro-organisms, but that depends on the size of the filter pores, the degree the water is contaminated, the particle size, and charge of the contaminant particle. I suggest conducting research and confiding in experts prior to the purchase of a filter. These filters employ a Chemical Disinfectant successful at riding the water of viruses, it's important to choose the correct ones. When using a chemical disinfectant water temperature, water clarity, PH, and many other factors must be taken into account when using a chemically treated filter.
  When boiling water is not possible a combination of filtration and chemicals are the most effective way to rid water of pathogens.
  UV lighting may be used to reduce micro-organisms and pathogens, however, the water must be filtered prior to exposure. In fact, the last stage in a "Reverse Osmosis" (Link) system employs Ultra-Violet lights. The water must be exposed to UV lights for the specific amount of time and power to reach a goal of maximum pathogen reduction.
  Chlorine when used in a salt solution which mixes oxidants, mostly chlorine, has little effect against Giardia but a high success rate eliminating bacteria and viruses. Giardia takes 2-3 weeks to show symptoms, a person will be long removed from the source when illness strikes, making associating the drinking water with the illness. Princeton has a really good paper on purifying water Link.
  Iodine can be used however, pregnant women, people suffering from Thyroid medical issues and those with a known sensitivity to iodine should avoid using it. Everyone else may use it for no more than a few weeks at a time.
  Boiling water to sanitize it is one part of the answer, personal hygiene being another. Bury feces at least 8 inches deep and 200+ feet from natural waterways. Wash hands a lot, prior to handling or eating food, and after using the facilities.
  Boiling is effective with the following:
  1)  Cryptosporidium: (Link) Commonly known as "Crypto", it's a disease caused by micro-parasites and able to live in the intestines of humans and animals, causing extreme diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps. The parasite finds it's way in this world by living in animal and human waste when it comes in contact with water, the drinking source is contaminated. Ways to remove it from water,
 *Boiling rapidly for no less than 1 minute, very effective in killing Crypto.
 *Filtration with an absolute or 1-micron filter has a very high success rate of removing this parasite. NSF standard 53 or 58 and rated "cyst removal/reduction filter". 
 *Iodine and Chlorine do a very limited job eradicating this micro-parasite, however.....
 *When using a 1 micron or finer filter along with Chlorine dioxide a very high effective rate in killing is realized.
  2)  Protozoa-Giardia, Giardia Lamblia, this is another disease from water contaminated with animal or human feces causing intestinal illnesses vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. It can be removed by:
 *Bring the water to a rolling boil and continue boiling for no less than 1 minute, this will kill Giardia.

This is a rolling boil, I use this photo a lot, it shows a good boil.

 *Filtration works with Giardia when a 1 micron or finer filter is used, the filter will be designated NSF standard 53 or 58 "cyst reduction/removal filter".
 *Iodine and Chlorine have low effectiveness in dealing with Giardia, although "Chlorine Dioxide" exhibits high success rates in killing this micro-parasite.
 *Filtration (1 micron or less) combined with chlorine dioxide is effective at eliminating this parasite.
  3)  Bacteria's, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli just to name a few, is also caused by water contaminated with human or animal feces.
*Bring the water to a rolling boil and continue boiling for no less than 1 minute, this will kill Bacteria.
 *Filtration works with Bacteria when a 1 micron or finer filter is used, the filter will be designated NSF standard 53 or 58 "cyst reduction/removal filter".
 *Iodine and Chlorine have low effectiveness in dealing with Giardia, although "Chlorine Dioxide" exhibits high success rates in killing this micro-parasite.
 *Filtration (1 micron or less) combined with chlorine dioxide is effective at eliminating Bacteria.
  4) Viruses, Enterovirus, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus are few viruses that infect water sources. It also causes the misery of gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps, also a source of Hepatitis and Meningitis. Again the water is infected by human or animal feces. More on human viruses in water Link.
 *Boiling is very effective, rapid boiling for no less than 1 minute, 3 minutes when above 6500 feet or 2000 meters
 *Filtration will not remove viruses.
 *Iodine and Chlorine treatments have a very high success rate in killing viruses. Chlorine or Chlorine Dioxide are both very accomplished at killing the viruses.
  This is merely Pathogens, Bacteria and Viruses, Chemicals, Detergents and Industrial waste are much harder to remove, some can never be removed from the water. In the California Delta, Mercury contamination is present, caused by Gold Mining. Not modern day Gold Miners, the '49ers would use Mercury to separate the gold from the base rock, then toss the rocks in a "slag pile". The piles grew to immense size, sitting in the mountains seemingly harmless. It has rained on the slag piles for over 150 years, the run-off carry's the slag downhill into creeks and tributaries. From there into the rivers where it settles on the bottom in the silt infecting the fish.
  Heavy metals are in the water, Mercury (above mentioned), Iron and Lead are a few, arsenic is another common contaminate. We will never know if all contaminants are eradicated without extensive testing of the water.
  Prior to determining if the water is worth even trying to purify we must ascertain where it originated. There is a big difference between purifying mountain creek water and cleaning up flood water, the former most likely treating for Giardia will suffice, the latter would take a super-fund cleanup in some cases.

We must assume all backcountry or open water should be boiled
prior to consumption.

  I have had Giardia twice, yep, once from a visit to Mexico, and the second from a backpacking trip in the Sierra's, it's not fun.
  It seems boiling is prudent no matter what the suspected contaminant may be, contamination from animal or human scat is capable of infecting almost any open water source. A combination boil, filtration, and chemical treatment may be our best course of action just to be safe. In historic era's fermentation was effective in killing many impurities present in their polluted water sources, which they were. Clean water has been a struggle since the beginning of mankind, dead animals, scat, minerals seeping from below ground and escaping gases have always been issues mankind has had to deal with. I live next to the river, I never thought of it before right now but the most pro-active task I could perform is to have water sample taken and tested. I will then be able to design my emergency water purification system to fit my particular situation. We all could benefit from surveying our possible source of water prior to an emergency event beginning.
  Thanks for reading and sharing, add me to your circles on G+, Thanks

jacquesandkate    emergencykitsplus.com
 
 

Hurricane's pass, mosquito's, airborne disease and water borne pathogens invade! Here's some action we can take.

   Stagnant water, chemically compromised water, bacteria infected water, and many other threats occur to human health after the Hurricane has left and cleanup is proceeding. After a disaster, we are informed by health agency representatives and Government officials that a "boil water" directive is in force.

Boil for no less than one hour, 61 minutes is fine, just don't boil
for less than 1 hour.

 It was immediately after the recent rash of California Wildfires were under control, many of the affected people had water wells at their homes. What sort of dangers are in the water following a catastrophic event? I've listed some below:
  1)  Waterborne diseases: If Sewage water and potable water come in contact with each other, drinking water is immediately contaminated. Rodents, mice, and rats carry an entire slate of diseases which are easily transmitted to humans, and pets as well. The biggest danger is rodent feces and urine, they also die in the flood water further contaminating the supply. There is a huge die-off of rodents during the flood, however, after the cleanup and life is just beginning to return to "normal" the rats and mice begin to multiply. One of the diseases that is transmitted by the small mammals is Leptospirosis, (Link) an infection caused by bacteria which causes flu-like symptoms, many times developing into illnesses of a much more serious nature, such as Meningitis. Causing the protective covering surrounding the spinal cord and brain to become infected, it is deadly if not treated quickly with antibiotics.
  Giardia is a disease often suffered by backpackers and people in isolated areas who rely on groundwater for drinking. Giardia is found on surfaces or in the soil, water or food that has been contaminated by feces from animals or humans. It is a very hardy parasite consisting of an outer shell that protects and preserves the parasite for long periods of time. Chlorine is not effective in controlling Giardia which is found in every geographical area of the world. After ingestion (which causes immediate infection) the parasite does not affect the person for 1-3 weeks and last for a period of 2-6 weeks, medication may shorten its lifecycle. Infants and Pregnant women are the most susceptible to being infected, upon exhibiting symptoms the baby and mother should begin to drink copious amounts of water to avoid dehydration. Diarrhea is the predominant symptom, but exceptions do exist, a child may have all of the symptoms except diarrhea, in such cases it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
  As readers of my blog may suspect, yes I have suffered from Giardia, (Link) we refer to it as "Montezuma's revenge", I had it twice. Once after I had been backpacking in the high Sierra's, I did boil my water, I was drinking from a stream, the water was clear and cold, but it was not safe. The second time was after a visit to Mexico, I figure it was contracted after I was wading in a stream up to my waist in what must have been contaminated water, it couldn't possibly have been the watered down Tequila, could it? It is able to contaminate your well after a flood do not drink your well water until it has been tested and cleared, floodwater will get into your potable water. Reverse Osmosis, rapid boiling for longer than one minute and filters of 1 micron or less will eliminate it, chorline like mentioned above does nothing.
  2)  Airborne diseases: I have for a long period of time thought that if some of the diseases infecting humanity were to go airborne, a pandemic would break out. The illnesses that would be horrible if they did go airborne are the likes of Ebola or the Zika virus, I don't know if they are even capable of becoming so. Some diseases are Airborne, however, Legionnaires disease a pneumonia type sickness that is very dangerous if the victim declines medical attention, it can be contracted by inhaling small drops of water. After flooding, the wind can kick up water droplets, smaller than a spray, hardly noticeable, but when they are inhaled problems can and often do follow.

A 1/2 face mask compared to the N95
 below.

People with lung disorders such as Asthma or Chronic respiratory diseases are well advised to wear a respirator, The recommendation is to wear an N95, they are supposed to filter out 95% of particles. I have found they are not to my liking, I have worn a lot of respirators, half mask, full mask, and hoods, I have a half mask made by 3M with an ammonia filter in it, I wore them inside "fireboxes" full of wood ash, coal ash and petroleum coke ash, I never had a problem. I would recommend purchasing a half or full mask, (no I don't sell them) they are available for a nominal amount and are well worth the extra cost. They work well when we are trying to avoid contaminants (like ash) but if we don't know the air is contaminated, we have to be proactive, put the mask on before starting cleanup. The N95 does a fair job filtering out mold and fungus, I still wear my half mask.

N95 mask in comparison to
the 1/2 face mask above. 

  3)  Insect/pest problems: Oh man, Mosquito's, the pointed nose fiends carry Zika, Dengue and West Nile viruses to name a few that are capable of infecting human beings. The high winds during a hurricane, tornado or severe thunderstorm will keep the flying pests at bay, they return with a vengeance in the aftermath. Standing water is their savior, it serves as breeding habitat rich with all of the ingredients that encourage a successful egg laying spree. A few things we can do to protect ourselves include wearing long sleeve shirts and pants, use bug spray containing Deet or Picaridin. Remove all pools of standing water, Mosquito's do not need a lot of water for breeding, old tires, pet dishes, or any place standing water is left to gather is a perfect habitat. The State of Virginia has a comprehensive paper on standing water. Link
  In the event you have been bitten, if you develop rashes, high fevers, joint, and muscle pain take some Tylenol and see a doctor as rapidly as possible. Do not take Advil (ibuprofen) it's possible when combined with the infectious organism it may cause profuse bleeding.
  West Nile Virus has decimated the population of Mudhens, Redwing Blackbirds, and Crows on our island, it is my understanding, Texas is infected with the virus on a par with California.
  4)  Snakes: My neighbor spotted a snake, she is the sweetest person in the world, the snake sighting scared her terribly. She described it to me, I think it was a California Whip Snake, harmless but long and it is a bit scary. I told her I would look for it in her yard, well then she told me she "heard" a rattle, so now I'm looking for several snakes. they are elusive, I have been looking for two weeks. Two weeks with no sighting, I look around their 1/2 acre about 5 times a week, nothing. It gets below 50 degrees at night and her garden is kept very wet, I don't expect to see one, but all that means is I didn't see one, it doesn't mean they aren't there. That's the problem.
  After a Hurricane snakes as well as other creepy crawly's get displaced and find themselves in unfamiliar territory, due to the high water they seek higher dry ground. They are on the move and more likely to come into contact with humans cleaning up debris and the after-effects of the catastrophe.

It's generally not like this in the USA.

There are some things we can do if you are in a snake-infested area, wear high boots, snake chaps, and long pants. Gloves, goggles, hats and leather leggings won't hurt as well, it's different than hunting for snakes. When hunting for snakes a person is dressed to encounter them, the people catching snakes have the expertise, me cleaning up my yard possess no skills in snake handling. People like me are in a defensive mode, every piece of trash or debris moved may expose a snake or other critter. Our best defense is to again, like with the Mosquito's dress and be proactive. If you do encounter a snake and you are not adept at doing anything with it, get the heck away! Men are bit on the hand, let that sink in a bit, I have known several (men) missing fingers from attempting to "pick up" a rattlesnake, I have never met a woman with a missing finger from being bitten by a rattler. Women are bitten on the foot or leg, see what I'm talking about? Don't touch the snake, but if you are bitten wrap it with a dry, clean bandage, remain calm and keep the bitten appendage below the heart. It is possible that shock can be encountered, as the attending person, (you and I) talk calmly, telling the victim everything will be OK, there will be time after the doctor release's (him probably) to tell him what you think of the intelligence of a person that attempts to handle a rattlesnake with not a clue of what (he) is doing. Although I have heard they taste like chicken, I imagine dinosaurs did too. (For a description of poisonous snake bites go to this Link.)
  Those are a few harmful (to humans) threats we will encounter after a catastrophic event that causes water to stand, or from pests or animals, there are many more threats than I have listed. The following 4 items can be addressed if you believe you have contracted a disease or other ailment:
  1)  Wash your hands every time we have contacted flood water, it will still contaminate the clothing, but hand washing will help to keep from ingesting the possibly harmful pathogens. Change your clothing as soon as you possibly are able to.
  2)  Do not put your hands on your face, head or in your mouth, it is difficult to do and takes self-determination, it's amazing how many times even in one hour we do. Give your self a test and experiment with how long you are able to keep from doing that. Do not touch mucous membranes, nose, mouth, or the south end of the body, wash hands often.
  3)  If possible wear latex gloves, for the uninitiated they are available in many sizes if a person has extra-large hands, (I do) and wears a large or smaller, the gloves will tear and become ineffective, wear the proper size. I worked with crew members that would cut the fingers off of the gloves, Why wear them then? I also worked with guy's that would drill a hole in their respirators to enable them to smoke as well. Enough said about that.

Full Hazardous waste protective clothing.

  4)  One of the biggest suggestions is if someone experiences flu or pneumonia-like symptoms, they must seek medical help as soon as possible. Unfortunately, during an emergency situation Hospitals, Doctors, Nurses, and Medications are at a premium. Have as much information that you can gather prior to meeting with the medical people, the chances of seeing your personal physician will most likely be nil, in fact, many times patients must seek help far away from their homes after being involved in one of these events. Flood water dangers link.
  I harp on floodwater all the time, it's a dangerous after effect of catastrophic events, it turns normally peaceful safe environments into a petri dish of illnesses. My intent starting off was to talk about purifying contaminated water, the water that has Protozoa's, Bacteria and Viruses, boiling alone is not effective when dealing with all of them, there is no wide brush to deal with them all, instead I became "sidetracked" and went off on a tangent, my next blog I intend to cover that subject.
  Thank you for reading and sharing, please +1 on Google+, leave a comment or suggestion, I'd like to hear your experiences and stories. Thank you
jacquesandkate emergencykitsplus.com

Hurricanes Maria, Harvey and Irma left a wake of pets behind them, here's 10 items we can address.

  After every catastrophic emergency event, we see photos and read news articles of the pets and livestock suffering from the current disaster, along with us. The events we suffer, our pets do as well, there is one huge difference between being human and being an animal during these evacuations. The large animals, horses, sheep, llama's and other pasture animals are seen on news feeds knee deep in water, or standing with a backdrop of fire or flood.

They will be OK for a while, soaked hooves may create serious
problems for them.

The huge difference between humans and pets is humans are allowed in relief shelters and the animals are not. I will not comment on rescuing the large animals, due mainly because I don't know anything about how to do it and I don't want to lead someone astray, my comments will be limited to our pets. I have raised cattle, with my father in law, but that was in the 1970's, I have forgotten almost everything about it with the exception of how much work it was, and how I would compare the 50 animals we had to children. Livestock cannot be left alone in a small pasture, they don't have to be stared at but someone has to be around to make sure everything is OK. As an example, if cattle run out of water, they will go looking for it, outside of the pasture which means broken fences and lost endangered animals. People raising livestock know how to handle them, any help we can offer would be appreciated I am certain of.
  We concentrate on human suffering during natural disasters, that is the highest priority of course. The suffering of pets was addressed in the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act in 2006 (PETS) Link. The act requires states that are requesting FEMA assistance to have plans in place to evacuate service animals and pets. It's been found the areas employing a comprehensive pets response plan also responded well to protecting resident livestock during these events. Fewer animals are lost and killed, humans are more apt to evacuate knowing their pets and service animals are being taken care of, many times the evacuated people find shelter for them and their pets. In 1999 Hurricane Floyd was the cause of 2.9 million pet and livestock deaths, many thousands of pets were never found. Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana had 15,500 pets requiring rescue, with 85% not reunited with their owners, ever. (these numbers are from a SPCA estimate.) The situation is getting better, we do actually learn from catastrophes, about 1/2 of high population cities and counties have implemented the needed infrastructure for dealing with animals during one of these events, some employ animal response teams. In smaller counties and cities the numbers are less, about 1/4 of them have a program in force. Smaller rural areas may be more adept at handling animals during confusing and dangerous events, and budget restrictions may also come into play. Sometimes, private citizens set up organizations to handle such situations, it takes time, money and mostly dedication.

Dogs will form packs, it helps them to survive, a lot like humans.

  I have a neighbor that rescues rabbits, we call her the "bunny lady", she is very dedicated and sincere, just don't tell her any bunny disaster stories. During the rains of last winter (2016-2017) one of the small islands flooded, unknown to most people it was inhabited with rabbits. This island is indeed very small, about 1-1/2 acres, a marina is built on it, the rabbits lived in the spaces below the structures. The rabbits were flooded out, they swam over to our island, I estimate 100-200 animals escaped in that manner. It seems instantly they began giving birth, that was March 2017, since the babies have had baby's and as well as their babies gave birth. We are not inundated yet, but I estimate by January the predators will move in and the cycle will continue. Of the rabbits that swam to safety, they have multiplied to about 300, they are everywhere. We have coyotes on our island, they mainly stay in the open areas and pastures, we can hear them at night. The bunny lady told me some are now becoming the victim of cars on the road, an indication of a big population. All of these rabbits are either the descendants of domesticated animals that have been "dumped" here or they have themselves been set "free" by misguided owners. As most people in rural areas realize, many pet owners take their pets to the country and set them "free", because I guess they figure someone will tend to them. Mostly we do, as with most people, we like animals.

Coyote is just trying to survive, they just happen to be wild
animals.

  That story serves as an example of what may happen to pets during an evacuation event, some people think they can "take care of themselves", they can't. A Lady in Fresno, California founded in 2011 the Central California Animal Disaster Team, Naomi E. Flam is the founder and director. This organization services six counties, Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Mariposa and Merced with mutual aid to Kern County and will be available for large-scale events. The organization only deploys to rescue animals during and after natural catastrophic events, the central valley is prone to wildfires. They do collaborate with the local animal control departments, ensuring all legal procedures and laws are followed. They are not available to locate stray or injured animals outside of an emergency, there are exceptions but they are few. follow the link for more information.
  We must include our pets in our disaster planning (Link), I know I frequently (a lot actually) encourage disaster planning, include the children (of course) and pets. I have an unmanageable dog, Skunkpuppy, if we have a natural disaster she will panic, in light of that here's some things we can do:
  1)  Know what disasters your area is prone to, mine, for example, flooding, wildfire (peat underground also), earthquake, and windstorms all causing electrical outages.
  2)  Have a NOAA weather radio, monitor the local emergency channel, keep up with the weather. The radios are available with or without batteries, some are solar and some are dynamic (crank to power). FEMA has an app that allows us to monitor up to 5 locations throughout the U.S.A. it may be found on their website. Link
  3)  Ask a neighbor to check on your pets when you are not home, include them in your disaster planning.
  4)  Find pet-friendly hotels in your area, as well as further away, add the list to your written plan, the local hotels will be packed.
  5)  Find out if your City or County allows pets in their evacuation centers if so be certain to have a carrier to enable the handling of your animal during a very confusing and frightening situation for them and you.
  6)  Know where the veterinarian's and pet hospitals are in your area, be certain to add the location in your planning document which each member of the family should carry with them at all times.
  7)  Micro-chip your pets, then we must make sure to update our information as it changes.
  8)  Place a photo of every family member with the pets in your planning package, people more readily are able to identify a pet after seeing the owner alongside them.
  9)  They will need a lot of water, a gallon weighs just under 8-1/2 pounds, recommended by animal rescue groups is a one month supply, but there is no way a person is able to carry that much. Determine how far you may have to walk to an evacuation center, then attempt to estimate how much will be needed.
  10)  Make sure the animal has an identification tag, name, phone number, and other contact information attached to their collar.
  These are a few things we can do as pet owners to plan what to do before and during an event, however, the big problems are experienced after the event. Our pets if left to their own devices will be scared to death, hungry, thirsty and looking for you. In response they will run off and not stop, if they do stay in the area (which most do) they are hiding under destroyed structures, burned out buildings or in wooded areas. If your pet is lost during an event, that photo of your family and the animal will become very valuable.

Take a photo of the family and pets.

  I experienced the identification problem with a dog that would come to visit me every time he (Tiger) got out of his enclosure, he was a big black Labrador Retriever, he liked it here. The name tag was wrong, I would call and get no answer, then one day it worked. (go figure) The guy on the other end of the phone was not agreeable, he was watching the dog for his daughter and well you know he didn't really want the dog anyway, blah blah blah. He did arraign for Tiger to be picked up, I should have kept the dog, I wish I would have, the people picking him up did not want him either, I thought he was a great dog, I expect him to show up on the levee again, then I will keep him. The point is, there are many people that just simply don't care what happens to their pets. Tiger I hope is safe and being taken care of and not left in a fenced area with no attention.
  I am sure more animals will be "dumped" around me, we had a dozen Chihuahua dogs running around the wooded area, they fell prey to predators when they form packs the little dudes are MEAN. I try to take care of the animals any way I can, they all have one thing in common, they are scared to beyond reason, understandably so. They depend on us during the best of times, they really depend on us during trying times.
  Thank you for reading and sharing, now is the time to start planning for our pets if we haven't done so yet. I have some major issues to deal with as far as skunkpuppy is concerned, I don't want anything to happen to her, even if she is ornery and unmanageable, after all, I took her on, now she depends on me.
jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com
 
 
 

Puerto Rico has lost almost four dozen lives to Hurricane Maria, The priority is to re-establish the hospitals, rapidly.

  Puerto Rico has lost almost four dozen lives to Hurricane Maria, there is estimated to be more, linked to the deadly storm. One half of the population depends on Medicare for their health care, it is not funded in Puerto Rico as it is in the mainland. The United States Territory receives a fixed amount from our Federal Government, and it's set to run out as early as next month. The island experienced "The perfect storm" as related to disasters, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, the island was flattened, twice.

When damage is this extreme, everything else in the society
is impacted, it looks like a good reason to go solar for the entire
island. 

  The priority is to re-establish electricity to the hospitals, some are on emergency generators, and nearly all of the hospitals are now open as of October 12, 2017. Electricity has been re-established to just over 1/2 of the medical centers, almost all of the dialysis providers are open and operating, many patients have missed treatment due to a vast array of reasons. Infections and illnesses from contaminated water are on the rise, Pink eye, Diarrhea, rashes and gastrointestinal problems are among them, appearing in substantial numbers throughout the island. This is a situation that will continue on, in a moist warm tropical environment acting as if it is a petri dish in a biology lab, but on a much larger scale. Some residents still struggle to get transportation to clinics for chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Diagnostic tools and equipment remain in short supply since the storm destroyed the island. The people suffered mental trauma that is sure to linger on long after the recovery is complete. The World Health Organization has a fact sheet pertaining to diseases that may be caused by flood water. Link
  My grandfather was born and raised on a wheat farm in North Dakota, born in 1882 he passed away in 1969. When he was young, not yet a teenager, a tornado came through, because it was an isolated area not a lot of damage to structures was suffered. However his father was killed in the storm, my grandfather found his badly mangled body in a horse trough. My grandfather was a big man, and strong, but when even a small storm would start he would tremble like a leaf, we would call it "post-traumatic stress" today. We referred to it as "poor grandpa," His mental distress over the storm lasted until the day he died, the people in Puerto Rico I am afraid to say may have to endure the same mental trauma.
  The legislation is currently in Congress (stalled), requesting an additional $1billion in funding for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program and the Children's Health Insurance Program. (For an explanation of how the Program works here's a Link) If funding is lost, as many as 900,000 patients may lose funding for their health care as estimated by the Department of Health and Human Services. The legislation is also pending for disaster relief in the millions of dollars, it has a lot of support in the form of 6 out of 10 mainlanders agree the U.S. territory is not getting enough support. (I will not comment on the political side of this, as is usual for us, it's screwed up, enough is being said about it anyway).
  One issue that the storms brought upon us is the reality of the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, natural disasters have a way of bringing long ignored situations to the surface. An immediate need for grants for disaster relief is needed, as well as the continued sustained support from the Fed's to ensure the people that we will remain faithful to our responsibility to all of the American's living there. If support is not maintained significantly, hundreds of thousands of citizens will leave the island and never return, causing a possible shift in politics and new costs to the Federal Government. Many of the people may relocate to Florida, New York, and the other Southeastern States. There has already been a "brain drain" of educated people such as Doctors,

Nurses are the answer people, when I need a medical opinion I ask a Nurse First, Doctors are fine
however, Nurses have the practical answers I need.

Nurses, and Lawyers, now the challenge will be to encourage the rest to stay, it's hard to estimate how many will. Puerto Rico has over the past decade accumulated over $70 billion in debt, it is equal to its yearly economic output, the island has been in a recession since 2006. Indeed 150,000 people (estimate) have left the island in the search for prosperity elsewhere, mostly the mainland. Yes, Puerto Ricans have the same opportunities in this country as every other citizen, with a strong U.S. economy, the employment prospects are tempting to the sufferers of a decade-long recession. A 21% drop in the Capita GDP is estimated as a direct result of the storm's devastation.
  I have to wonder what will happen to the recovery if hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans leave the island never to return, will there be enough people to make progress. As I am writing this, all of the 1300 public schools remain closed, no estimate for re-opening. It will impose a heavier load on the people that choose to remain, is there an opportunity there as well? What kind of opportunity could there possibly be in a situation such as this, certainly in the construction business. I'm thinking more in terms of the highly skilled craftsmen, (Link, for an explanation of what a skilled craftsperson is) plumbers, carpenters, and ironworkers, for example, striking out on their own forming new companies out of necessity. There may be a vacuum created at the top, I suspect most of the people that leave are the more affluent, leaving their company's and stores behind deciding not to rebuild. In the same vein, a startup company demands different things of the people establishing them. It may be a good opportunity for female-owned enterprises, as well as minority businesses. Perhaps solar will take off and it will launch Puerto Rico into the future beyond where the mainland is now and where the island was, there will be opportunities for sure in the electrical production and distribution industries. Plumbing, always a top demand, extensive repairs are needed, plumbers are needed, it's a job not everyone wants to do.

It's too bad but money is the driving
factor in the recovery.

  The one thing that may hold back the recovery, (and it may be happening now) is the lack of funding, but is it a matter of getting started and the economy will catch up? I'm not sure, one thing is for sure, payroll must be met. I don't imagine anyone going without a paycheck for a month or so to help the recovery, they have to eat as well, however, maybe a new reality will open up. If all of the needs of the employees and their families are satisfied for a short time, just long enough for the money to start flowing, it may work. There is a huge industry just in vehicle needs and repairs, every trade and business has to be re-established and quickly.
  I intended to write this as an uplifting motivational article, but with the immense human suffering and the massive work to be done, that light at the end of the tunnel most definitely is not a train but it may be a lot further away than what we may think.
  Thank you for reading and sharing, if you have any thoughts or comments please do comment. I'm working on more videos, I like the humor aspect of the whole thing, even though my niche is mostly serious, and in this day and time humor is hard to find. I like making fun of myself, I think it's funny, do you think we lost a little of the ability to laugh at ourselves? I do, I want people to laugh again, and make jokes on ourselves, I feel we are way too serious in serious times, there is room for it.
 jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

Hurricane Irma and Florida the recovery is going well, except for one industry, I'm trying to understand why.

  Florida, how is the recovery coming along? I've never been through a massive disaster the likes of what Hurricane Irma dealt to Florida which started on September 11, 2017. It left a huge amount of damage behind it, and a lot of debris, much of which is waiting to be hauled away by contracted haulers. The State has set up collection points for debris, sites for people to clean the mess from in front of their homes to a collection site for hauling.

Some residents are cleaning up the mess in their yards themselves, I would
also, it must feel good when it is gone.

Residents are tackling the cleanup, the trucks and loaders are working around the clock, however, there is a lot of cleanup. It reminds me of when I was growing up in Minnesota, after a blizzard or heavy snowfall, we would make a killing clearing snow and pushing cars out of ditches. The same is going on in Florida right now, landscapers and ambitious teenagers are being hired, anyone with a truck or trailer is actually hired to haul the stuff away. The debris is being hauled to free holding areas, then picked up by contractors on pre-storm agreements and taken to a permanent dump site. 35,000+ residents have taken debris to the collection sites since September 13, when the first one opened, they have dumped over 75,000 cubic yards of the stuff. That's enough sticks, logs, and branches to fill more than five thousand dump trucks if they were lined up bumper to bumper it would stretch for about 24 miles. As we can imagine there are snakes, cats, raccoons, possums and rodents in the mess, just to name a few. Not to get down on Florida but they do have their share of creepy crawlers, there's no disputing that, but give credit to the people, they are doing it. But then people are just getting tired of it being around and want to get back to a normal life. It looks like the cleanup is proceeding OK, people are getting annoyed with the mess, but hey it was and is still a heck of a mess to clean up.
  Recovering from a catastrophic event the likes of Irma is a huge undertaking, the decision makers are literally in Florida up to their eyeballs in alligators. One of the issues facing the residents is a spike in their Electric bills, the first one after the storm. Their bills have in some places doubled, others were about one-half of pre-storm bills, what the heck is going on? I sure don't know, I would expect meter problems, especially in the areas that were flooded, the meters are electric and the water is, well, water and it doesn't mix with electricity. It may be a system-wide glitch, they did restore electricity in a very rapid amount of time, A workforce of 20,000 people were brought in from all over the country to help restore power, some complaints of restoration being slow are being heard, I think restoring power to an entire state in a few weeks is a pretty good achievement. However, the increased workforce may be an indicator of one of the items forcing an increase in the utility bills so far received. Link to CBS article on the increase.
  The most amazing task accomplished I've heard of is, and anyone who has ever had dealings with this company knows what I'm talking about, Comcast says they have restored service to "virtually all customers." It sounds like a "declare victory" and get the heck out of dodge declaration. I've dealt with them for a week over one problem, they must be a much better organization in Florida.
  The Governor has declared the Florida Keys are open for business, tourism is a huge part of the Florida economy, it needs to get up and running as quickly as possible. Winter is when all the "Snowbirds" flock south, in California the Northerners flock to Palm Springs, they are referred to as "Snowbirds", I am guessing they are in Florida as well.

The Florida Keys from this to open in one month, I'm impressed.

  After being closed for just over a month, the Naples Zoo has re-opened, free admission for Collier County residents and $5.00 for the rest of the residents of the State. The Zoo is now in the same condition as before the storm, it's actually a monumental achievement, as we recall the winds were 145 miles per hour.
  Florida's orange crop has been destroyed, there doesn't appear to be a silver lining in that cloud anywhere. The State lawmakers are trying to find $2.5 billion in federal aid needed to cover the losses encountered by agriculture by Irma if it is not found the citrus industry may collapse. Florida is second in the world in citrus production, first in the world is Brazil. The house passed an aid measure that includes relief for Florida-Texas and Puerto Rico $18.7 billion, $576.5 million for California wildfires and $16 billion for the National Flood Insurance Program. Zero for Florida's Citrus farmers. I personally think it is absolute insanity to ignore any part of our national agriculture programs. The backbone of any Country is farming, we have lost track of that due to the corporate farms taking over great parts of the industry, family farms are the backbone of every country. The Feds need to wake up. Link
  A little bit of a catch up on Florida, it appears the recovery is bumping along OK, it's a marathon, not a 50-yard dash, as in all instances of this caliber the residents are spearheading the cleanup efforts. I have noticed in these situations very few people run away from the problems, most run to them, to help, the majority of us want to place ourselves in a positive position, and that position is helping our selves and neighbors because it's the right thing to do. Florida will come back, the orange industry will recover (I hope it's not taken over by corporate farms), the utility bills will be figured out and the teenagers helping haul debris will be buying their pickups and cars with the money they have made helping with the cleanup.
  Thanks for reading and sharing, it appears things are getting better at least in Florida, I will look at Puerto Rico next.
jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com

 
 

The California Wild Fires continue to burn, there is one big thing we can address to reduce them, find out what it is here.

The Wild Fires continue to burn in California, Northern and Southern California are both affected. I was sitting outdoors for about 1/2 hour, the air was very heavy causing me to return to the house. The causes of wildfires are numerous, rock slides, lightning strikes, and the most common human, either accidental or arson. The investigation of the causes of the fires currently in California will take several weeks, then a few more for the reports to be released to the public. Right now the cause is not important, the human suffering is and it needs to be addressed first, and it is.
 

October 9, 2017 NASA photo. 

  I read a news article in "Vox" news (Link) outlet titled "California's wildfires aren't "natural"-humans made them worse at every step." The writer continues on writing about the impact of urban sprawl and the density of structures being built.
  I have thought about the same issue, not only as it relates to wildfires but to flooding and water sources as well. I am in view of the "Diablo Range" of mountains, this range stretches from Suisun Bay to the Grapevine, approximately 400 miles to the south. The foothills are protected from the building, which means a lot of new home construction is in a "flood" zone, (Link to FEMA's flood map products) As the flatlands leading up to the foothills get closer they rise in elevation, much of that land is above the floodplain. The land is not any cheaper in the floodplain, but there is a lot of it and it's mostly flat, making building on it very attractive, so we do. I believe there are a number of people of whom do not realize they live in a flood zone, especially if it's a 500-year flood prediction. Above a 500 year occurrence, no flood insurance is needed, below that number and flood insurance must be purchased, it doesn't make much sense to me, but that's how the rules are written. All flood insurance is provided by the federal government, and they would like to get out of the disaster insurance business. Upon purchase of a house in the disclosures, it will be stated if the home is in a floodplain and if flood insurance is required, if it is required it is mandatory to purchase. Only if a loan is taken out on the house, if not or if it is in a 500 year+ flood plain flood insurance is not required. The flood zones are written by FEMA, and these zones are what the lenders refer to for addition of the amount of insurance which is added to the payment and affects being qualified for the loan. Sometimes people are disqualified due to the amount of insurance required due to the monthly costs added to the loan. Throughout the country, many homes are built on floodplains every year. If there is a major flood in California there will be a lot of homes underwater, we are fortunate to have a very good flood control system in the form of dams. It would be nice to be able to build above the flood zones, but that introduces a water problem of a different variety, Potable water.
  On the California central coast, the City of Cayucos, a building moratorium was enacted ending the construction of new homes due to the lack of water. That is the reason it is possible to purchase ocean front property for $25,000.00. Water may not be available for anywhere from 20-100 years or more, there is just not enough water to support more homes. They have a water meter "priority" list which ends after the number 800, properties with a water meter number are worth more, but that does not create more water, they are merely on a list. Water is a huge issue no matter where a person lives in this state, Mark Twain said: "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over." Politicians are more than willing to take water away from one area of the state and send it South where there is none.
 

Cayucos California, South of San Simeon, North of Morro Bay it's a great
little beach town, while you're there visit the commune of "Harmony"
California, south on highway 1. 

  Where can construction be done in California? I don't think it can change much, every spot in the state has a reason for houses not to be built. Wildfires in California are not predictable on the occurrence or where they occur, and the water issues will be solved if and when a new source is discovered. What if we built houses somewhere else and imported people to their jobs? Should people be restricted from building in forested areas due to the fire threats? How about the flood zones throughout the country, 9.6 million households are in floodplains in the United States. 53% of the population of the U.S. live on the Eastern, Western and Gulf Coast, as well as along the Great Lakes and the major rivers. People want to live near the water, and we do, unfortunately, floods are a fact of life in these areas. Causing $3-5 billion each year in damages, floods are our countries most common and biggest natural disasters. Since 1935 $25 billion has been spent on flood control projects, $100 million annually on planning and technical assistance.
  Can we stop building in wildfire areas? I don't think so, but there is one big thing we can do that would impact the number of fires we experience each year. We need to stop starting them, 85% of all California Wildfires are started by an arsonist. We need to just stop, easier said than done, that is a step further than prediction, it is the prediction of "Who" is going to start one. Of these arson-caused fires, insurance claims are a major motivation, anger is another major motivator. The estimate is 10 of the fires burning in Northern California are arson caused, however, investigations must be completed before arson is proved. very little is known about arsonist because very few arson fires are solved. It is known that most arsonist who have been profiled have had a below-normal IQ, typically between 70 & 90, 25% are below a 70 IQ range, qualifying them as Mentally disabled. That's not to say all people in those ranges are an arsonist, in fact, arson is one of those situations that a small percentage of people cause a huge problem. About 90% of arsonist are White Males, motivated usually for profit. One-half of all arsons are committed by people under the age 18, the other half is normally in their late 20's. These statistics are from a 1987 report in the FBI Law enforcement bulletin, it's a dated report, however, I don't believe it has changed very much since then. On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, California authorities released a sketch of a white man believed to be in his late 20's, seen by witnesses starting a fire. As I keep saying we must wait until the investigators complete their investigations before placing blame. The first cause was noted to be Electrical Utility lines, the possible causes are being listed and investigated. Now to qualify what I have written, these numbers were compiled from interviews of the arsonist that were caught, the smart ones may have gotten away as most arsonists do. In fact, because so few are apprehended an accurate profile of an "average" arsonist cannot be built. Some of the other reason's arsonist starts fires are:

1) Revenge, physical and emotional abuse.
2) Excitement, relief from boredom perhaps.
3) Thrills, is this what motivated the fires along the Columbia River in Oregon?
4) Sexual stimulation, rarer but a recognized motivator.
5) Fire Play, normally by pre-puberty children, it is outgrown.

National Arson Awareness Week Media Kit Link.
 

4 days ago, Northern California's firestorm. 50+ mph winds.
It is so very sad. 

 
 Can we stop building in hazard areas? No, I don't think so, we've drastically reduced flooding with dams, canals, and pumping, compared to the early 20th-century flooding has been greatly reduced. Fire areas? No, we should not stop building in these areas either, the bigger question is "What can be done to control arson?" Arson is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to California Wild Fires.
  Thanks for reading and sharing, if you live in a wildfire area and see someone starting a fire, get as much information as possible quickly and get in touch with the authorities, take pictures if possible, don't let the perpetrator see you.
jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com