What a weekend it’s been. Days seem longer now that the time has changed. Here on the high desert plains, the snow has stopped. For now. The daytime temperatures are in the low 50’s. Pleasant. Except for the atmospheric rivers that are flowing right over the top of us. All of those things combine to make for high desert flash floods.
I’d only read about such things until a few days ago. When studying for my Nevada Driver’s License test last summer, I learned that as little as 6″ of water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Fast moving water doesn’t help. There are signs everywhere.
“Don’t Drown. Turn Around”
The meteorologists here have been warning everyone to prepare for the worst. In case you haven’t been following the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada’s, here’s the latest. Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe has frozen over for the first time in decades. Yosemite National Park is closed indefinitely, perhaps until Spring 2024. Donner Pass has received at least 17′ of snow in the past month alone. The surrounding desert mountains where I live are covered in snow. At least they were until an atmospheric river came along.
Once you live in a remote area, you begin to understand that the roads are what they are. Some are gravel. Most are riddled with pot holes. But very few have flowing rivers raging over them. On Saturday, I traveled on one such road twice. The first time, there was no water on the road. None. It was early in the morning, but I would have noticed if 1/2 of the road was covered in water. It wasn’t.
Just an hour later, the entire road was under 3 – 4″ of water which was traveling downhill at a pretty good clip. Not just a small part of the road, but at least 100 yards. The atmospheric river and warmer temps had melted the snow pack on our desert mountains. This water was coming down the hills, hitting the high desert plains and gushing down the hill.
Due to some untimely construction on our local irrigation canal, the water had no where to go. My two favorite horses were each on their own little island as the water rushed past them. There were flashing lights and “Severe Flooding” signs warning everyone of the disaster. Thank goodness my neighborhood was built with a great drainage system. It’s the people on the little road that leads to my neighborhood that got hit pretty hard.
This is only the beginning. In Tahoe, the Raley’s Grocery Store has been closed due to fears that the roof may collapse. It’s one of the only large grocery stores in town. Ski resorts have closed due to the possibility of avalanches, and the fact that snow is burying the lift chairs. Unbelievable.
I plan to keep an eye out. I don’t own a canoe, but am thinking it might be the time to invest in one. Water wings, at the least. All this has made me aware of a need for emergency plans. One never knows when disaster will hit. There is only one main road in and out of my neighborhood. If that is washed away, it could be disasterous.
Every home should have a Go-Bag ready to grab and run. Birth certificates. Insurance documents. Perhaps a current back up of computer files. Some cash. Things you would need if trouble comes knocking. For detailed information on planning for disasters, go to Ready.gov. There you’ll find complete information on being ready for the unexpected.
Whatever you do today, check out the crazy weather over the Sierra Nevada’s, and other parts of the country. Then, remember to be grateful if you are living in an area that’s not under 17 feet of new snow. No flash floods in your area? Celebrate! Things could always be worse.
More tomorrow.