By David Stillwell

This week in the news there has been much discussion about the super storm approaching the Northern Coast of California. The coastal areas are expected to receive upwards of eight inches of rain while inland valley regions are expecting three to five inches of rain. Winds are also expected to be fierce with gusts between 60-80 miles per hour. If the wind speed is sustained, this will put this storm on par with a level 1 hurricane.

With the state in extreme drought conditions, the water is desperately needed. The problem is that dry land mixed with massive amounts of rain are likely to produce landslides. The environmental damage from this storm could be severe.

Many housing developments around the Sacramento area are built in flood planes. With that much water dropping, it is expected that there will be storm damage. The local storm sewers may not be able to handle that much water in such a short period. Municipalities and County agencies are dispersing sandbags to areas known to flood.

As a resident of Sacramento, it will be interesting to see how bad the damage is to local buildings. If you have to drive, leave early and plan on delays. If possible, use alternative means of commuting such as Am Trek or light-rail.

The storm is expected to begin tonight as the winds advance. The rain will begin tonight too along the coast. The winter ocean is typically rough with tidal surges cresting 20 feet. As the storm approaches the tidal surge is expected to grow and could cause damage to harbors and boats within coastal towns.

Already the winds here in Sacramento have picked up speed. The air seems like it is full of moisture, but the rains have not begun. I will update this report tomorrow as the rains begin.

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