Deborah's Winter Storm Check-In

Asphalt berm. Rain runoff is right to left. 

Thank you, to all who reached out to me in the recent storm. My family and I are hunkered down, as usual for heavy winter rainfall. Neighbors keep us informed about local road closures.

Yesterday and this morning were brief breaks in the atmospheric river. so mine beloved spouse and I checked out the state of debris from uphill and the various water diversion measures. We had worked with our neighbor (on the above-mentioned "uphill") on a culvert that runs under our tiny-but-paved street, then debouches (isn't that a wonderful word?) beside our carport and eventually the water runs along our property line and spreads out. The idea is that by this time, it's lost its momentum and can percolate into the ground, replenishing the water table. We also placed an asphalt berm to direct rain toward the stream instead of our garage and house.

Our biggest concern has been debris flows because this area, including "uphill," was burned during the 2020 wildfires. The burned areas are all nicely green, and the redwood trees have stabilized the slopes better than we hoped for. This is the third winter since the fires, so the increased risk (over normal conditions) is very small.

Every winter, slides close roads and downed trees knock out power lines. That's life in the mountains. We have a backup generator and I work at home, so we're relatively lightly impacted. The larder is full, we have plenty of books to read, and oh yes -- I have several to get back to writing!

Again, thanks for your caring, and may we all have a safe and happy coming year!