So Cal Fires....

[rwilke]

Since the Santa Ana Winds happen annually in that area and since the media folks say they think this string of fires may of also been started by power lines blowing around, touching & sparking... ...AGAIN...why do the locals continue to install overhead power lines in those areas?

Just as confusing to me is in the SE coastlines where hurricanes hit every few years, I don't understand why they continue to string wires overhead only to have to replace them again after the next storm hits........ Yeah, the initial cost would be higher to bury the power lines vs. running them overhead, but it seems to me that it would likely be better in the long haul (quicker to restore services, less down time, less overall cost to business & the community).

Those folks have GOT to know full well that overhead lines will be blown down or pulled down by debris/trees via hurricanes or as in So Cal, burned up & ruined before they 'wear out'???? I'm confused,,,,anyone have any thoughts or explanation to share?
Ryan W

 

[kide]

Ryan - I don't have the answer, but it must still be cheaper for them than to replace all of the infrastructure. I can't believe they're insured for the storm damages and they have to pay for all of the emergency replacement costs. We've got a similar situation here, where our power company doesn't clean right-of-ways in less than 10 year intervals... Primary lines run through the center of trees. I know the route from our house to the substation and have reported the exact location of wires down to work crews so often, they've offered me their cell numbers to save 'em time...

 

[kweaver]

If Cali would hurry up and drop off into the ocean like I've been hearing all my life the problem would be solved (a lot of problems!) the fires would be put out.

 

[rwilke]

I've got another (related) question I'd like to hear the opinions of this "edgu-maw-kated" bunch:

More than just a few times over recent years, while I'm watching a News Alert from some area where, once again, there has been yet another disaster; disasters that 'frequently' show up in that area (meaning every couple of years the area is hit by some hurricane, tornado, fire, mud slide, flood, huge snow fall, etc.). Then the reporter interviews some homeowner who's house has just been "destroyed". The homeowner then says, "...no, we didn't have any house insurance - it's too expensive in this area."

Ok, now how in the he!! does that happen!? If they don't have any homeowners insurance, doesn't that mean that he/she must NOT have a mortgage on the house, correct? Because I thought all mortgage companies require you to have insurance on the joint???? Now, if it's paid off or under a land-contract deal or some other sorta thing, I understand. But don't most folks hold a mortgage and, thus, MUST have insurance on their place, regardless if it's in a 'frequent disaster' area and likely expensive or not?
What am I missing here????
Ryan W

 

[digger]

Ryan W.
It's called living from pay check to pay check!
I dunno how old you are but believe me, it happens all the time to more people than you might think, sorry to say.

 

[kweaver]

Ryan - Charlie missed the point ... don't know how with his head as pointed as it is

but it is Ca. you're talking about so it's like this.
You either buy a house straight out from your porn industry earnings , drug cartel earnings , law suit that you won , or you marry into that big house.
Yes you're right about having to have insurance , we just paid our $529 worth last month!!!!

I told the ol lady I wish they'd "slide in" and she said they'd all just move east .... can't win either way!

We're FINALLY getting some rain here and one news reporter said it's a shame that Cali can't get this rain ... well fug!'em ... we NEED it ! We went 3 months with less than 3/4" inch.

 

[aschumacher]

Ken, give me a call just before the 'slide-in' so I can tell my daughter, She is in San Diago itself, safe for now, but ready to go if necessary.

 

[bmcmeen]

Ryan W. -

Up until the summer, we had earthquake insurance.

We live in NE Illinois, why would we need that? Can you say New Madrid fault? It's not if, but when it lets loose again.

However, Allstate decided to drop all earthquake insurance in IL. So we have no such coverage thru no fault of our own.

 

[kweaver]

Bryan - Look at it this way, if the Yellowstone eruption ever happens you wont have to worry about the little New Madrid

The New Madrid quake is probably the one that dumped the house size rocks off the cliffs that I've been going out taking pics of.

 

[kweaver]

Did you see that 7 inches of rain flooded New Orleans ... they need to forget about that place

 

[lhinds]

Ryan; After working in that industry for 36 years, I think The federal money they get for damage from storms depends on how much damage they have. If there is a lot of damage they get to upgrade their system at taxpayer expense. They don't get reimbursed for small amount of damage.
Just my 2C Luther

 

[kmcconaughey]

Bryan, "So we have no such coverage thru no fault of our own."

What, you're not claiming the New Madrid as your own personal fault? There's faults up near me too in the Hudson area. Actually I think they are all KENtucky's fault.

 

[aaytay]

Kraig-
That's interesting, I never knew Hudson had a fault line. <font size="-2">(Yea, yea, I know, "It has me, so it HAS to have at least one fault!" Anyway...)</font>

Funny thing is, it's about 1-1/2 miles from my house!!!!!

Ryan-

 

[kmcconaughey]

Art, I've also heard that they discovered one in the limestone when they cut back the bank behind where the Holiday Station Store and a few other businesses are at the south end of town.

 

[rwilke]

Ahhhh,,,,,, yes, Art?

Ryan W

 

[dsauve]

The part I don't understand is
1) why do people build below sea level
2) when your house is built on a fault line why are you supprised if it falls in?
3) when someones house slides away with the mud why do they build on more of the same unstable ground?
4) When a hurricane removes the houses from a beach repeatedly why put up another one?
5) what ever happened to common sence

I feel sorry for the folks that have lost their homes and everything they ever owned but some times we should not be suprised.

 

[acasteel]

Being from southern California maybe I can help explain a lot of this to you.

I too had to evacuate on Tuesday morning. We received the evac notice around 4:40 in the morning and the fire was only 3 to 4 miles away from my house. I will have to share pictures with you guys later when I get a chance to upload them.

one thing i saw in this discussion was overhead power lines. The reason is we have such a wide spread terrain that anything underground would be hard, And very costly. Especially in my area where there are nothing but steep valleys. But only in rural areas like mine. But in rancho bernardo where they were hit the hardest, I believe 500 homes were lost, they still had water and power because its all underground. That is a very wealthy area I might add, so they don’t want the rugged look of power lines.

And one draw back to San Diego county is that we settled here as citrus and avocado farmers so we are very very very spread out.... its pretty bad considering no one clears brush and it becomes dangerous. One fire was started by a guy on his own property by flicking a lit cigarette butt into some weeds and bam new fire.

 

[hcole]

Bmcmeen,<font size="+2">run like the wind</font> if the insurance company just up and dropped the quake coverage on you poor folks they must have an inside scoop on an impending disaster. save yourself get out while you can!!!

 

[acasteel]

Here is the fire that was close to me. One of of 16 wild fires in San Diego county

The red circle is where my house "is"... Its in the area

This would be the sight of fear at its finest.

And i think the thing that most people dont understand is the Enormity of this. i will try to find a map of all the fires so you can see how big it really was

 

[dsauve]

My 17 inch monitor just doesn't do these photos justice. The fire at the tragic, but the sight is very impressive. It is a good reminder that no mater how smart we think we are and advanced we have gotten as a society. We aren't free of mother natures awsome power.