Month: December 2012

Storm Report, 12/2/12

4:00 pm – it is eerily quiet up here now, after days and days of wind and rain. The sun is trying to break through, but I have my usual condensation cloud trying to form, so I might not see the sun until tomorrow. I am going to take the evening off, unless something major happens tonight. Will check in with y’all tomorrow.

2:29 PM 13 [27] CLOSED – VINEHILL BWTWN 2101 VINEHILL AND CAMINO VISTSA/SINK HOLE/CLOSED TIL FURTHER NOTICE – NB LANE IS GONE (Due to road being undermined) this is Santa Cruz Co.

1:00pm- just over 2″ in my gauge since this storm started.,Winds gusting over 40 mph in the last 1/2 hour. Wicked up here! CHP very busy in Monterey – trees blocking both lanes of the 68e OFR from Highway One SB vehicles having to back up OFR. CLOSING THE OFR until 40 ft of trees dan be disposed of. 101 flooded JNO of Chualar and at Spence Rd. There is a mud/dirt/rock slide on San Miguel Canyon Rd. just to name a few of the serious problems developing.

Noon – power went out in Big Sur Valley about 1/2 an hour ago. Unknown how extensive. Been wicked up here – wind and rain – but I have no leaks, I have a great fire going, and I have power, as I planned ahead and charged up my solar battery yesterday. Hope everyone stays safe and dry!

10:30 am – NOTICE 101 NB and SB lanes in Santa Clara and San Benito Co. Flooded – proceed with caution! Friend just made it to town from Big Sur Valley safely. I am having Internet gremlins, again, so will update as possible.

7:00 am – no closures on CHP site, here, at this point. Santa Cruz has some mud slides. Not a good day to be out and about, but if you are, and can post a comment about road conditions or other information, we encourage you to do so. Time and place make the information more useful. Here is NOAA forecast discussion:

.DISCUSSION…AS OF 3:00 AM PST SUNDAY…RAINFALL HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE IN
THE OROGRAPHICALLY FAVORED REGIONS SUCH AS THE SANTA CRUZ
MOUNTAINS AND THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS OF MONTEREY COUNTY. A
COUPLE OF GAUGES IN THESE AREAS HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN 1 INCH OF
RAIN BETWEEN 12:30-3:00 AM…SUCH AS UVAS CANYON COUNTY PARK IN
THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS…AND CHALK PEAK/MINING RIDGE/ANDERSON
PEAK IN THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS. IN FACT…CHALK PEAK HAS
RECEIVED NEARLY 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN DURING T HIS PERIOD. THE
PRECIPITATION SUMMARY CAN BE ACCESSED AT THE CNRFC HOMEPAGE
(WWW.CNRFC.NOAA.GOV/GOOGLE_PRECIP.PHP).

SATL IMAGERY AND LOCAL RADARS ARE INDC THAT THE MAIN FRONT IS
NORTH OF SONOMA COUNTY…BUT WITH A STRONG SHORTWAVE APPROACHING
THE COAST IT HAS BEGUN TO MOVE SOUTH. THERE CONTINUES TO BE GOOD
COOLING OF THE CLOUD TOPS AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY INTERACTS WITH THE
WARM MOIST AIRMASS. EXPECT MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN TO SHIFT SOUTH
AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES. WITH THE SATURATED GROUND THERE COULD
BE WIDESPREAD URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING…MAINLY IN THE
NORTH BAY AND IN THE SANTA CRUZ AND SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH THIS EVENING…

Looks like another fun day in store for us, boys and girls!

Strategic Community Fuel Break Improvement Project

Dear All-

The USFS will be conducting a scoping meeting to gather public input on proposed actions in the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest. The proposed action, known as the “Strategic Community Fuel Break Improvement Project” is entering the first phase of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process towards implementation. Although there are some specifics as to the geographical area to be treated and some basic ideas of how the proposed work may be executed, this meeting will allow interested parties the opportunity to weigh in with their support or concern and to offer up specific recommendations to USFS representatives in context with this project.

The Strategic Community Fuel Break Improvement Project is the product of a collaborative process that invited stakeholders from the environmental / wilderness community, biologists, fire science professionals, Native Americans, Agency land managers and resident Property Owners in an effort to protect and enhance the natural, precious world we live in while at the same time, engaging in sensible, wildfire pre-suppression treatments using an “all lands” approach. This process was sponsored by the USFS and facilitated by the Nature Conservancy utilizing the Open Standards for Conservation guide. This guide stresses the importance of a results oriented, adaptive strategy for managing lands on a “landscape wide level”.

Please make some time to drop by the Big Sur Multi Agency Facility conference room from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursday, December 6th and express your opinion on the proposed actions.

Click on Scoping Document and Project Vicinity Map to download these documents that you should read prior to the meeting.

Sincerely,
Butch

Butch Kronlund
CPOA

Storm Report, 12/1/12

8:00 pm – wait a minute … What is that I hear? I thought the rain wasn’t going to come back in until after midnight! These storms must be giving the forecasters fits.

2:00 pm – looks like it will be a quiet afternoon. Rain has stopped, one unknown traffic hazard NB 1 at Carmel Valley Rd. but I’m still here keeping an eye on things, my Internet is working, there is a fire in the fireplace, the genie is running, and I have a meatloaf in the oven. All-in-all, a good afternoon!

Noon – CHP Not reporting any problems on Highway One, as of 15 mins ago. If you observe any, please post in the comments section below, as Michael Handy did. A time and location, as Michael provided is crucial. We are FINALLY getting that promised break, so this is a good time to go out and fill and start my genie, so I will continue to have power tonight through tomorrow, no matter what happens!

10:00am – CHP rports a rock/mudslide in Big Sur on Highway One, no mile marker or better location given, and the RP was able to get around by driving on shoulder. No indication of how much of the lane, or which lane, given. Woefully inadequate information IMHO just reported a few minutes ago.

9:15 am – it has rained steadily since I woke at 7 am. What is this? I thought we were supposed to get a break today? Gunna be time to start the ol’ fire going again soon.

8:00 am – no closures on Highway One reported on the CHP website so far this morning. We get a bit of a break from the heavy rain today, although it is currently raining up here on my mountain top. flash Flood watch continues, per NOAA.  .MTR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES…

      .TDAY…FLASH FLOOD WATCH…ENTIRE NORTH BAY…COASTAL AREAS AND
              COASTAL MOUNTAINS FROM SAN FRANCISCO SOUTH TO THE BIG SUR
              COAST AND THE SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS.
 
MoCo Rds. Came out and checked on Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. yesterday to make sure it remained open and will do so again on Sunday. One neighbor reported the road was Nasty yesterday, with limbs down in many areas.

Will be keeping an eye on things, as usual. Please report any conditions you are aware of that others might want to know about in the comments below. Given yesterday’s “iffy” Internet (none after 2 pm), if you send it to me, it might not get posted.