This is devastating. These recurring fires in California for the past few years just won't ever stop. :\'(  I'm not a big fan of the "thoughts and prayers" phrase not because I don't believe in God, but it's an overused term that almost everyone uses yet there's never any action. But for now in this situation, I sincerely pray and believe that these families, friends, animals, and loved ones will find a way to survive this tragic event! If there was a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, blizzard, earthquake, or severe storm that causes flooding, then I'd know how to prepare for those natural disasters or survive it, but if there was a wildfire, honestly I have no I idea what I would do. It sounds terrifying not only because of the heat around you and trying to escape the fast burning flames, but even the air becomes polluted with lack of oxygen. Your eyes would feel it. You could pass out breathing in that air trying to escape and you'd be doomed. Sorry if I missed anybody, but to Nally, #Infinity, and NerdyGamer, whether you're from these areas or not, I pray that y'all are safe or if you have any friends or family from these areas, I pray they're safe too. God is good.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/10/us/california-wildfires-camp-woolsey-hill/index.html

This is devastating. These recurring fires in California for the past few years just won't ever stop. :\'(  I'm not a big fan of the "thoughts and prayers" phrase not because I don't believe in God, but it's an overused term that almost everyone uses yet there's never any action. But for now in this situation, I sincerely pray and believe that these families, friends, animals, and loved ones will find a way to survive this tragic event! If there was a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, blizzard, earthquake, or severe storm that causes flooding, then I'd know how to prepare for those natural disasters or survive it, but if there was a wildfire, honestly I have no I idea what I would do. It sounds terrifying not only because of the heat around you and trying to escape the fast burning flames, but even the air becomes polluted with lack of oxygen. Your eyes would feel it. You could pass out breathing in that air trying to escape and you'd be doomed. Sorry if I missed anybody, but to Nally, #Infinity, and NerdyGamer, whether you're from these areas or not, I pray that y'all are safe or if you have any friends or family from these areas, I pray they're safe too. God is good.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/10/us/california-wildfires-camp-woolsey-hill/index.html


Thank you so much. San Diego is okay for now, but I know plenty of people are fretting for the protection of their homes and livelihoods. The fires in 2003 were dangerously close to where I lived at the time, and so I remember the horror quite vividly, plus the aftermath of what happened to our neighborhood, where hundreds of houses were burned down.

I agree 100%. Living in the Northeast, the worst natural disasters we ever get really are just N'oreasters & the occasional tornado. Even hurricanes, despite the notoriety of the carnage brought by Sandy & Irene from a few years back, aren't that common out by me. It is one of the reasons why I get severely pissed off when people out by me complain endlessly about how much snow & rain we get, especially given these last few years as things have been relatively more damp. Look, I'll take flooding rains or feet of snow over wildfires any day of the week. It really puts things into perspective on how catastrophic these wildfires are. Theres no real way to prepare for these tragic events. You're sort of like pawns in the elaborate chess game of 'Mother Nature', & you have limited mobility in preparing for the inevitable or escaping danger when it is immediately apparent. I honestly don't even know what I would do if I were in that situation, how & where to seek shelter, what should I bring or leave, routes to escape, etc. etc.

This is a video of a family doing just that


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It is so gut wrenching to watch :\'(.


It almost seems like these have unfortunately become a much more regular occurrence in the past few years due to the drought in the Western seaboard, ironically as the Eastern seaboard has become a lot more damp. We live in dangerous times right now, and I just want to express my thoughts & prayers to all of those affected :\'(.

However, please don't take this the wrong way, but we need to seriously have a constructive dialogue on how climate change relates to this. I know this statement delves into more on the political side of things, therefor I put this in a spoiler to begin with, so hopefully this thread doesn't get moved. But when you have annual records of heat indexes being broken for the last 5 or so years & a simultaneous increase in volatile weather activity, I can't seem to wonder how so many people still cannot be able to connect the dots. This isn't to politicize this thread, I'm honestly just expressing my frustrations with this.

I'm doing well too for now. Just like Infinity, I also witnessed the horrors of the 2003 wildfires to where not only that I end up having that week off, but I couldn't go outside either due to the exposure of the smoke and seeing a red sky.

Very sad yes...I feel so bad for all affected :(

Crazy how this happened yesterday when I was watching a video from a YouTuber who referred to San Diego as the most beautiful city. Glad Nerdygamer and #Infinity is ok.

Yes its very sad............

One of them sparked up last Thursday afternoon as I was driving home from work; it took me 6 hours to get home. I told the whole story in the Sound Off/Rant Tents Are Us thread in TTT.

And last Saturday morning, as we left the house to go down to the Port of L.A., the fire still had parts of Highway 101 shut down, so we had to take an alternate route. In addition, we gave ourselves ample time to get down there. Thankfully we didn't hit much heavy traffic along the way.

It was also apparently smoky in San Francisco, when the ship was there in port on Monday. This is due to a brush fire burning in a nearby area there.

This morning as we were driving home from the Port, Highway 101 was open again, so we could go that way to get home. Along the way we saw all the charred hills. :o They were no longer burning, but the smoke resonated in the air...so when I go back to work on Monday, I'll have to bring along my special mask (which I acquired last year during the Thomas Fire).

I read where Miley Cyrus' house burned down.  :-\\

I am going to donate-but the question is who should I donate to? There are so many organizations out there and trying to figure out which ones are legit and will do the most good. I REFUSE to give to the Red Cross-too many issues with that organization. There are 4 organizations I can donate through Amazon (one being the Red Cross). I just have to decide which one.

Cat

the thoughts and prayers thing- yes so overused and it has felt at times that people just say it for the hell of it

I am going to donate-but the question is who should I donate to? There are so many organizations out there and trying to figure out which ones are legit and will do the most good. I REFUSE to give to the Red Cross-too many issues with that organization. There are 4 organizations I can donate through Amazon (one being the Red Cross). I just have to decide which one.

Cat


Don't get me started on the Red Cross. OK, you just did. There is a 100-year-old story in my family.

Back during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, the RC came calling on my Grandmother's house to see if she needed any help. "No thanks", she said, as she did not have anybody in her house who had the flu.

Then one day the RC volunteers showed up and Grandma said "Yes, I could use a little help here. I've got two people in the house who are down with the flu."  The two RC people turned around, got the hell out of there, and never came back.  ::)

I was hearing this story from my Mom more than 90 years later.  :o