California: From Drought to Flood in a Matter of Months
By Vito Chiesa
Almost two years ago in April of 2015, I wrote about the drought in this blog.
“As a second-generation Stanislaus County walnut grower, I can tell you that there are a few things I can count on and a whole lot of things I can’t. For example, I can count on the sun shining about 260 days a year here in the Central Valley. And I can still count on my 83-year-old father to put in a harder day’s work than I do most of the time. Both of those things help our trees grow and our business flourish. I just wish the rain was as reliable.”
Well, my father is 85 now and still working hard. And I still wish the rain would fall in nice predictable patterns, not too little and not too much. But, that’s not usually the way it works. In just a few months we’ve gone from dealing with a drought to managing floods and worrying about dams and levees. That’s as true in Los Angeles or Del Norte County as it is in Stanislaus.
The whole state is experiencing local flooding and damage to roads and infrastructure. My heart goes out to everyone who has had to evacuate because of actual or potential flooding. And I want to offer my thanks and respect to all of the first-responders, engineers, construction crews and the people who work in evacuation centers. In every “disaster” these heroes restore my faith in humanity.