Objectively, and obviously, some peoples’ houses fell into a ravine and were destroyed. They’re gone.
I watched the local news coverage of the mudslide last night and found the attitude very interesting. The discussion consisted of various reporters expressing shock and disbelief that possibly, perhaps, the victims might be shit out of luck. The anchor said, wide-eyed, something like “The difficulties are just beginning for these homeowners and may take months or years to overcome.” You don’t say!
There was an implicit assumption that when this sort of thing happens, someone, somewhere is going to show up to make everything all better. Some insurer, government agency or fairy godmother is bound to instantly and fully compensate the victims (at the least) or maybe even rebuild all the houses at the wave a magic wand. The “news” was that this may in fact not happen, and even if it does, it could mean a long period living in a shelter, motel or with relatives for the victims. I wonder how shocked the reporters would be if someone explained to them that even if the victims are somehow compensated, the houses are gone, forever, and represent an economic loss to someone.
IIRC, L.A. was subject to flooding; so in the 1920s (?) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided the best way to deal with it was to line the riverbeds with concrete. This allowed water to shoot straight into the ocean. Unfortunately, it also ensured that the aquifers would not be replenished.
Taken above China Beach, in San Francisco’s Presidio/Seacliff area this weekend. There are much scarier examples nearby.
I suppose by living here, I’m pretty much ensuring that I will live through a few natural disasters in my life; I already got one down in 1989. But hey, I’m willing to live with it. However I need to accept, and so does everyone else on this coast, that when your piddling little species takes on the raw power of a dynamic planet, we lose.
I remember reading **The Control of Nature ** years back, and was just astounded- it sounded like something in a totally different universe.
One case (IIRC): there are drainage basins dug into the side of the San Gabriel mts to catch the mudslides. Apparently, someone thought that it was a good idea to build houses on the rim of these basins! Of course, a heavier than expected rain comes through, the basins flood over, and the houses are literally washed under in mud- the occupants barely avoid drowning in it as their homes fill with mud and gravel.
So what do they do? They sue the city, and plan to use their insurance and settlement to build a bigger better house on the same spot!
Come to think of it, we did have a house fall into a sinkhole about 12, 14 years ago. Heavy rains messed up the land under a house, already built on the edge of a big gulch in the entrance to the Presidio, and finally, the whole house just tipped over, in one big piece. You might’ve seen the footage on Max X or Real TV or another of those “check out this amazing/cool footage” type shows.
I’ll take my chances on a quake, but I’ll take the house on bedrock in the middle of the City, not one perching over a hole.
Remember though that some of the houses in Bluebird Canyon had been there for decades. The area wasn’t particularly prone to slides. Wildfires are a much greater risk.
If not for the insane amount of rain SoCal got this year (more than twice the average in Laguna Beach), this probably wouldn’t have happened and there would be no more danger than the average canyon dweller has.
I feel for some of the folks there. Although the media loves to harp on the “million-dollar” homes that were lost, you have to temper that with knowledge about our housing market. If a person had owned their home for a long time, it wasn’t that expensive to buy and they may not be rich, or even well off. I think some are teachers. The house may NOW be worth a ton, but the person only realizes that gain if they sell (or take out a huge loan).
I can’t remember the last landslide in Bluebird Canyon. The last one I recall was after the terrible fires in the mid-90’s (burned right down to the waterline in some places) but the landslide came down Laguna Canyon Rd.
This is very true. One of the saddest stories I heard (during that interminable coverage on Wednesday morning) was a lady who lost her home and the first phone call she got was from her Credit Union, cancelling her equity credit line – on the justification that her equity no longer existed. Dunno if that’s even legal, but it’s mightily fucked up no matter what. :mad:
