As I write this, San Franciscans are enduring what has been billed as the "storm of the decade". The forecast is for severe winds, which for us means sustained winds of around 30 MPH with gusts approaching 50 MPH and rainfall of up to 3 inches. The National Weather Service has issued a number of advisories, watches, and warnings.
So far we've seen steady and heavy rainfall and occasional wind gusts. I'm told about 38,000 are without power in my neighborhood and expect that we'll see some downed trees as we did in last week's storm. The emergency services have done a good job of providing advance notice and preparedness information and are standing by to deal with anything untoward. Schools have been closed for the day in many communities, including San Francisco, and a number of events have been canceled.
Whoa! Let's step back and put this in context. Is this a bad storm? You bet but it's no worse than others we have experienced. Winds of up to 50 MPH are not unusual in San Francisco (see the article below about a Hazardous Weather Outlook in November). But school closures and cancellations of planned events are. I'm not knocking the people that made these decisions - they are prudent precautions and were made after considerable thought. What I am interested in is the high level of public concern that prompted such actions.
To someone from the East Coast who regular experiences hurricane warnings, our concern over 50 MPH gusts must seem ludicrous. For those who endure winter storms that dump feet of snow or those in the Midwest who see regular flooding, 3 inches of rain may produce chuckles. Well, we in the Bay Area laughed at you when you had that minor earthquake a few years ago and went into panic mode.
The simple fact is we fear what we don't understand. After three years of drought, many in the Bay Area have forgotten the El Nino rains of the late 90's. We don't know what to expect from a heavy rainstorm. It doesn't help that you are reminded of the oncoming storm every time you turn on the TV or surf the net.
What can you do to relieve your anxiety? There are three simple things you can do:
- Educate yourself about the risk and what you can do to protect yourself. In this case, local emergency services offices have provided plenty of advance warning and useful information.
- Put the risk in context. For example, just because the NWS issues a Flash Flood Watch doesn't mean you are at risk from a flash flood. But if you're traveling or live in an area that is, you need to be aware of the potential for a flash flood.
- Monitor the situation as it develops. Keeping up on problems that occur during the event can help you avoid trouble. Many jurisdictions offer public text or twitter alerts during an event.
Storms are unpredictable and always carry risks. Prudent precautions are never wrong. But don't let an approaching storm cause you to live in fear.
Stay dry out there!
I would disagree that you should not close schools when you expect wind of such magnitude. In Florida we also experience our share of wind incidents, to include bad storms (not just hurricanes). We often get with stakeholders, including the school district, and they often will make the call to close schools if the wind is supposed to be blowing hard at certain times of day.....a 50-60 MPH gust of wind hitting the broadside of a school bus on a bridge or country road can spell a lot of trouble. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Posted by: Dhahn | 12/12/2014 at 10:24 AM
There's no disagreement. I specifically said that I'm not knocking the decision to close the schools - I try not to second-guess decision makers when I'm not privy to all the facts, particularly where safety is involved.
Posted by: Lucien Canton | 12/12/2014 at 12:56 PM