California is known for its beautiful beaches, lakes, deserts and magnificent mountains. However, with all the beauty, comes the potential for major disasters, including fires and mudslides.
Forest Fires
Recently, the state has had an increase of the number of major fires and mudslide disasters. So why is this happening? First, California has been on-and-off in drought conditions for the last decade. Much of the vegetation has been drying out. All you need to start a fire is a spark from a campfire, a power transformer, a car backfire or a lightning strike to the ground. Once a mountain fire starts, it can quickly turn into a wildfire that burn down hundreds of acres of mountain forests.
Mudslides
In the Fall and Winter, the state has its normal rainy season… (if we’re not having another year of drought). When there’s a major storm in the mountains and there are no more trees to slow down the rain, the rain turns into mudslides that come down the mountains with devastating results. As more and more people have moved into the mountains, we’ve seen more homes and businesses lost and loss of life.
The Bottom Line
Unfortunately, as of today, there are no really good ways to stop the disasters. Anyone that lives here or just visits the state always needs to be aware of the potential for major fires, and mudslides. Remember to ask before you go into the mountains.
One of my Favorite Sayings
“Think like a child and be in the moment”
You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, in an hour or a minute in life!
