# Major Storm LUCIFER to Hit Southern California **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059 "2017-02-17T15:23:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/41 "2017-02-18T18:36:50Z")
My parents live in Morgan Hill, south of San Jose. Anderson Dam in that town is at 99% capacity. The residents there have been under evacuation warning for several days due to the dam (which my parents are ignoring - curse them\*). The dam is considered seismically unsound and they’ve been trying to keep it only partially full for years. All the rivers leading off the dam are at flood stage and they’re letting water off as fast as they can. I’m not sure what they think will happen to the dam, but it sounds like they are worried. \*My mom’s logic is something like “Well, I think I would feel an earthquake.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/42 "2017-02-18T18:52:36Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [The AP is reporting 2 dead, a sinkhole opened and Victorville flooding had cars being washed down the street.](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_STORMS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-18-00-37-36) The sinkhole is just a couple of blocks from where my parents live. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/43 "2017-02-18T20:29:50Z")
So can we hear back from the OP and others? Did you survive the reckoning? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/44 "2017-02-19T00:28:03Z")
There was some detritus (fallen palm fronds etc) that needed clearing this afternoon, but no damage to the property thankfully. But a lot of the main roads were complete rivers for a while. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/45 "2017-02-19T01:10:35Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > So can we hear back from the OP and others? Did you survive the reckoning? For a storm that arrived late and finished early, it did some decent damage around Long Beach. Downed trees (and power lines) were a big problem on the south side, closest to the ocean. Walked around a nearby park today and counted 19 fallen trees. Mostly eucalyptus - they seem to have shallow roots. Five of the trees fell into roads, including one that fell across a major, five-lane artery. Nobody hurt, according to the local fishwrap. I was walking around at the height of the rain and water was spraying out from under a manhole cover, periodically lifting the cover out of its depression with an ominous rattle - guessing the storm drains were pretty close to capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/46 "2017-02-19T01:12:05Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Stay safe and keep out of the way of trees, as much as you can. There will be a lot of cypress limbs ready to come down as I’m sure you’re already aware. You called it - there are a bunch of cypress trees lining the street that my office building is on. A bunch of the trees went down in the road. Thankfully they were small ones. A friend posted on Facebook that one went down right in front of her and almost got her car. Why do they plant cypress trees anyway? They are always the first to go. The city did a big tree-trimming job last summer - I shudder to think how many limbs would be down if they hadn’t. A big tree went down at my son’s junior high school. It only took out a shed but apparently if it had gone the other way it would have taken out the band room. My son is in band. :eek: Lots of power outages all over the county due to trees taking out power lines. We were fortunate and didn’t lose power. Also fortunate in that I didn’t have to travel more than 3 miles from home during the day, as traffic was a mess from the trees and the flooding. We’ve lived here for 13 years and this was the worst storm I’ve seen. I’ve seen more rain, but not the combo of rain and wind. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/48 "2017-02-19T01:33:07Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > My parents live in Morgan Hill, south of San Jose. Anderson Dam in that town is at 99% capacity. The residents there have been under evacuation warning for several days due to the dam (which my parents are ignoring - curse them\*). The dam is considered seismically unsound and they’ve been trying to keep it only partially full for years. All the rivers leading off the dam are at flood stage and they’re letting water off as fast as they can. I’m not sure what they think will happen to the dam, but it sounds like they are worried. > > \*My mom’s logic is something like “Well, I think I would feel an earthquake.” :smack: Are you sure? I live in that area and have heard nothing about an evacuation order. In fact, I just watched the local news a few minutes ago, they did a little piece on Anderson Reservoir and no mention of an evacuation order. [This is from the city website.](http://myemail.constantcontact.com/An-Important-Message-from-the-City-of-Morgan-Hill-About-Anderson-Dam-and-Emergency-Preparedness.html?soid=1101489772684&aid=7ENWNqZ0aVc) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/49 "2017-02-19T02:16:28Z")
I-5 in Colusa County, north of Sacramento, is flooded and is closed. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/50 "2017-02-19T04:03:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Are you sure? I live in that area and have heard nothing about an evacuation order. In fact, I just watched the local news a few minutes ago, they did a little piece on Anderson Reservoir and no mention of an evacuation order. > > [This is from the city website.](http://myemail.constantcontact.com/An-Important-Message-from-the-City-of-Morgan-Hill-About-Anderson-Dam-and-Emergency-Preparedness.html?soid=1101489772684&aid=7ENWNqZ0aVc) My parents told me warning, not order to evacuate. (Get your plan together, know your route, be ready to leave.) Sounded slightly more serious than the city page but not completely different either. My parents also told me that the city had contacted them. They are in the flood plain from the dam. I don’t know if there’s a different outreach protocol for those folks? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/51 "2017-02-19T11:39:17Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Are you sure? I live in that area and have heard nothing about an evacuation order. In fact, I just watched the local news a few minutes ago, they did a little piece on Anderson Reservoir and no mention of an evacuation order. > > [This is from the city website.](http://myemail.constantcontact.com/An-Important-Message-from-the-City-of-Morgan-Hill-About-Anderson-Dam-and-Emergency-Preparedness.html?soid=1101489772684&aid=7ENWNqZ0aVc) Hi, neighbor! I live here too. I’ve been keeping an eye on the warnings and we have a plan in case we feel an earthquake. The plan is: grab medications, jump in car, and GTF up into the hills on the west side of the valley, maybe up Willow Springs Road or Watsonville Road. Yesterday afternoon we drove over to the dam to check it out. The parking lots at the top and at the base of the dam are jammed full of cars and spectators. The stream coming from the release valve at the base is a huge torrent. We drove several blocks away, and from there could see a huge waterfall coming from the spillway at the other side. Insomnia has me up and posting at 3:30 a.m., and I’m hearing the rain start back up again. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/52 "2017-02-19T11:56:49Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > My parents told me warning, not order to evacuate. (Get your plan together, know your route, be ready to leave.) Sounded slightly more serious than the city page but not completely different either. My parents also told me that the city had contacted them. They are in the flood plain from the dam. I don’t know if there’s a different outreach protocol for those folks? The news tonight said it wasn’t Morgan Hill that was threatened, but parts of South San Jose along Coyote Creek. That creek could flood if too much water was released from Anderson Reservoir. **tb** : I’m not in Morgan Hill, but in the South Bay area. Got a bit of insomnia myself. Was tossing and turning all nights, so I figured I’d just get up. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/53 "2017-02-19T18:06:41Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The news tonight said it wasn’t Morgan Hill that was threatened, but parts of South San Jose along Coyote Creek. That creek could flood if too much water was released from Anderson Reservoir. > > **tb** : I’m not in Morgan Hill, but in the South Bay area. Got a bit of insomnia myself. Was tossing and turning all nights, so I figured I’d just get up. That may be it then. They are off one of the release creeks. I assumed it was because they are in the flood plain. :o I had no idea I used to have so many Doper neighbors. Just moved out of Morgan Hill a few months ago. Here’s a link to the [Gilroy Neighborhood Watch Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=gilroy%20neighborhood%20watch). There are two videos on the page showing some of the outflow from the dam. I can’t remember if you have to be a member of the group to see them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/54 "2017-02-20T00:21:04Z")
The problem with the Anderson Dam is that it’s supposed to be kept at 68% of capacity, max, because it is thought to be vulnerable to a ~7.5 earthquake. Right now it’s full (100% of capacity). One of the officials interviewed expected it will take 4-6 weeks to get it back to the allowed capacity. Let’s hope we don’t have a major earthquake in the next couple months. Meanwhile, bracing for the next big storm due in tonight… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/55 "2017-02-20T00:32:17Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The problem with the Anderson Dam is that it’s supposed to be kept at 68% of capacity, max, because it is thought to be vulnerable to a ~7.5 earthquake. Right now it’s full (100% of capacity). One of the officials interviewed expected it will take 4-6 weeks to get it back to the allowed capacity. Let’s hope we don’t have a major earthquake in the next couple months. > > Meanwhile, bracing for the next big storm due in tonight… One of the minor little bits of propaganda the SJ Mercury news aka “The Murky” used to always do is list the dams at % of \*capacity \*then point to that as how down we were in the drought. For drought purposes you need to know % of NORMAL, as indeed Anderson \*isnt supposed to be at capacity. \* ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/56 "2017-02-20T01:42:14Z")
Yikes. We might get 4" of rain tomorrow. Eight inches up in the mountains. One wonders if Highway 17 will ever reopen… ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/57 "2017-02-20T04:14:51Z")
I-15 started crumbling away east of LA today, and a fire rescue truck actually fell in to a hole. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/58 "2017-02-20T05:02:51Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I-15 started crumbling away east of LA today, and a fire rescue truck actually fell in to a hole. Where is I-5 crumbling? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/59 "2017-02-20T06:09:20Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Where is I-5 crumbling? I-5 isn’t crumbling, but it was flooded north of Sacramento. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/60 "2017-02-20T22:05:37Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I-15 started crumbling away east of LA today, and a fire rescue truck actually fell in to a hole. Not really into a hole…more like over the edge into the creek bed. That was about 100 yards south of the 15/138 interchange. I drove by the spot about 3 hours ago. Caltrans was beavering away, stabilizing the roadway and trying to keep the rest of the southbound lanes from following the firetruck. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059/61 "2017-02-21T01:59:42Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I-5 in Colusa County, north of Sacramento, is flooded and is closed. New York Times article (Feb. 20) [with aerial photo of that](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/us/california-rain-floods.html). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-storm-lucifer-to-hit-southern-california/780059.md?page=4)