Devastation - Show Us Your California

Hi friends,

This post is an entry into the weekly Show Us Your California contest hosted by @thesocalhive where we share an aspect of our California.

Unfortunately, this post will be a bit of a downer. As you may know, we have been experiencing heavy winds and wildfires here in Southern California. We had unusually good years of rain the last couple of years, but this year has been very dry. This has led up to a bad combination of heavy bush growth with dry conditions in the many natural areas in and around the greater Los Angeles area.

Sure enough, the strong Santa Ana winds came and caused their devastation - downed trees, destroyed roofs, debris everywhere and wildfires. The winds topped over 100 miles per hour at their worst and the wildfires have claimed thousands of houses and structures, as well as a handful of lives.

Most people have escaped safely, which is the most important thing, but many have lost all their possessions and keepsakes, and are facing years of insurance issues and rebuilding time (if they want to rebuild at all). The fires have been the most destructive in Los Angeles history and the amount of devastation is hard to fathom and still occurring.

My family and I are safe and our house is not in danger, which is a much better spot than many of our friends and family members. We, and many in our communities, are rallying around those who are struggling with emotional support, physical supplies, and prayers. I helped my neighbors with cleanup from the wind (some had their roof shingles blow to pieces) and am keeping in touch with those who are displaced and under evacuation orders or lost their homes.

Here is an example in our neighbor of a tree uprooted, which hit the electrical line and pulled down the post, damaging a Yukon Denali while the wildfires are destroying homes in the distance:

Just crazy and hard to believe. The word for 2025 will be resilience, which is what I am already seeing in our community in light of the tragedies.

Thanks for coming by and checking out a piece of my California.

Brian