Thank you for the update, Tom. May the rains come. May ConvictedFelon34's movement of 500 -1000 Marines from CA to the border to stop 310 migrants from crossing into the unpromise land of greg abbott and the other fuckwits, who are obviously drunk on the poisonous kool-aid pushed by magat world, come back to bite all of them in their fat asses.
Dave - Debris Flow, Mudslides, and the Art of Rebranding Catastrophe, my story.
“Debris flow” isn’t just a new term for mudslides—it’s a glow-up, a PR rebrand for the same relentless hellscape that’s been burying towns since time immemorial. But there’s a reason for the linguistic evolution, and it’s not just to make it sound fancier for insurance claims or disaster grants.
A mudslide is what you picture from old disaster flicks: loose dirt, mud, maybe a few toppled saplings oozing down a hillside like Mother Earth’s messy tantrum. It’s localized, it’s predictable, and it’s tame—relatively speaking.
A debris flow, however, is a whole other beast. This is mud on steroids, bulked up with boulders the size of minivans, uprooted trees, and whatever unlucky structures, cars, or humans happen to be in the way. It’s a churning slurry of destruction, capable of moving at 20-30 miles per hour, faster than you can scream “What the hell is that?!”
The science folks like to use “debris flow” because it’s more precise. It describes a specific cocktail of rock, sediment, organic material, and water that surges downhill like a pissed-off freight train. Mudslides don’t hold a candle to the scale and violence of this kind of event.
But let me tell you something: I’m not just spouting this from the safety of a desk. I lived this nightmare. I was there, boots-on-the-ground, December 2017, evacuated for the entire damn month because the Thomas Fire was turning Montecito into Mordor. And just when I thought I could breathe—two days home, dirty clothes barely unpacked—BOOM. Mud. Rocks. Trees. My entire world went sideways. That so-called “debris flow thing” came screaming down the mountain like it had a personal vendetta against anyone who dared return.
So, yeah, I know every single gritty detail because I lived through it. I smelled the scorched earth, heard the roar of boulders smashing through homes, and saw what happens when nature decides to go full rage mode. Call it a mudslide, call it a debris flow, call it Armageddon. The result’s the same: you’re running for your life and praying the mountain doesn’t swallow you whole.
Good to know there is still personnel there working towards full containment as I can only imagine how many sand bags are needed to secure such a huge area. May there be no big rains all at once in the near future. Any idea where they are going to put all the fire damaged wreckage ? All I think of is head east into the desert similar to what is done with nuclear waste.
So, about this fire-damaged wreckage—where’s it headed? The answer is always, “head east,” like that’s some magical direction where problems vanish into thin air. But hold up. When you say east, how far are we talking? Nevada? Because if the plan is to drop that smoldering heap of disaster in my backyard, I have a much better idea.
Hear me out: Texas.
Let’s just take this whole operation and point it toward the Lone Star State. I mean, they’ve got all that vast land under the big blue sky—wide-open spaces practically begging to host a debris dump. Plus, they’re the biggest state in the union, so they’ve got the room. And as far as I can tell, most of them are still proud card-carrying members of the “Ruby Red Republican Homestead Club.” They’re always bragging about being the best, the biggest, the boldest—so why not let them be the boldest at hosting the burnt remains of a natural disaster? It’s just one more badge of honor to sew onto that Texas flag.
And here’s the beauty of the plan: just drive right through Nevada. Don’t even slow down. Heck, we’ll wave at you from the roadside, cheering you on like the parade you deserve. Keep going until you hit that big Texas horizon, where everything’s bigger—including their capacity to handle a mountain of fire-ravaged debris.
I mean, c’mon. Texas loves a challenge, right? They want to be independent, self-sufficient, the rugged cowboys of America. This seems right up their alley. Let’s just make sure the GPS doesn’t get stuck on “desert” and accidentally dump the whole thing in my front yard. So if “east” means Texas, I say: giddy up. Ship it there and call it a day.
I hope you West Coasters are ready for your scolding from Bishop Bigmouth who'll be telling you to manage your water and forest floors better and that he wants to get rid of FEMA and have states manage their own crises, which is how it mostly works anyway.
Just looked at the Calfire Incidents website. The Otay Mt. (named Border 2 Fire) is only 10% contained. Calfire counts 264 fires so far in Southern California, most of which - thankfully - have been quickly brought under control. Only 9 are listed as currently active. https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents
The wind this morning was from the southeast so blowing smoke from Otay Mt. to the northwest and the coast but high level smoke. I woke up to see an orange sunrise to the east and a band of smoke to the northwest. Winds are forecast to die down and shift offshore by midday. Fingers are crossed that the rain, and even snow at high elevations in SD County, forecast for tomorrow & Sunday, will come to pass.
Thanks for the update, Tom. Lets hope the rain is strong, long, and steady to extinguish the fires. Mudslides must be horrible. I remember seeing pictures of houses being destroyed as the topsoil turned to mud and slid down the mountain side taking everything with it.
The orange turd was on the news this morning (10am CT) talking about his visit to CA. I had to turn off the radio, so didn’t hear much of the garbage I’m sure he said. Hoping to hear the hatred lies from you and others later. Glad to hear things are looking up. Hopefully no landslides.
Thanks. My daughter has been worried about La Jolla, where she has friends. Glad to see THAT is contained. It looks like the border fire(s) are further east.
“Rain is expected to start Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Officials welcomed the wet weather, but crews also were shoring up hillsides and installing barriers to prevent debris flows as residents returned to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas.”
Tom, this news makes me physically ill. The debris flow was far, far worse than the fires around Montecito.
A volunteer group called The Bucket Brigade worked non-stop for over a year after the disaster clearing properties. Nasty, vile, dangerous work.
Thank you for the update, Tom. May the rains come. May ConvictedFelon34's movement of 500 -1000 Marines from CA to the border to stop 310 migrants from crossing into the unpromise land of greg abbott and the other fuckwits, who are obviously drunk on the poisonous kool-aid pushed by magat world, come back to bite all of them in their fat asses.
Yes!!
"Debris flow" is the new term for mudslides? The progress is welcome and I'm glad you and the cats have come through it OK.
Yes, our daughter studies debris flows and we are proud of her work to find ways of mitigating the damage and harm resulting from them.
I too am so relieved to hear that Tom is still safe.
That sounds like an amazing field of study! Good job, mom🤗!
Dave - Debris Flow, Mudslides, and the Art of Rebranding Catastrophe, my story.
“Debris flow” isn’t just a new term for mudslides—it’s a glow-up, a PR rebrand for the same relentless hellscape that’s been burying towns since time immemorial. But there’s a reason for the linguistic evolution, and it’s not just to make it sound fancier for insurance claims or disaster grants.
A mudslide is what you picture from old disaster flicks: loose dirt, mud, maybe a few toppled saplings oozing down a hillside like Mother Earth’s messy tantrum. It’s localized, it’s predictable, and it’s tame—relatively speaking.
A debris flow, however, is a whole other beast. This is mud on steroids, bulked up with boulders the size of minivans, uprooted trees, and whatever unlucky structures, cars, or humans happen to be in the way. It’s a churning slurry of destruction, capable of moving at 20-30 miles per hour, faster than you can scream “What the hell is that?!”
The science folks like to use “debris flow” because it’s more precise. It describes a specific cocktail of rock, sediment, organic material, and water that surges downhill like a pissed-off freight train. Mudslides don’t hold a candle to the scale and violence of this kind of event.
But let me tell you something: I’m not just spouting this from the safety of a desk. I lived this nightmare. I was there, boots-on-the-ground, December 2017, evacuated for the entire damn month because the Thomas Fire was turning Montecito into Mordor. And just when I thought I could breathe—two days home, dirty clothes barely unpacked—BOOM. Mud. Rocks. Trees. My entire world went sideways. That so-called “debris flow thing” came screaming down the mountain like it had a personal vendetta against anyone who dared return.
So, yeah, I know every single gritty detail because I lived through it. I smelled the scorched earth, heard the roar of boulders smashing through homes, and saw what happens when nature decides to go full rage mode. Call it a mudslide, call it a debris flow, call it Armageddon. The result’s the same: you’re running for your life and praying the mountain doesn’t swallow you whole.
Wow, makes a hurricane seem like minor inconvenience
"If it's not one thing it's another."
- Roseanne Roseannadanna
Thanks for the area update. Glad to hear the progress and glad you and the cats are now safe (or safe for now...) Mudslides!......
Good to know there is still personnel there working towards full containment as I can only imagine how many sand bags are needed to secure such a huge area. May there be no big rains all at once in the near future. Any idea where they are going to put all the fire damaged wreckage ? All I think of is head east into the desert similar to what is done with nuclear waste.
A Question of Waste: Where Exactly is “East”?
So, about this fire-damaged wreckage—where’s it headed? The answer is always, “head east,” like that’s some magical direction where problems vanish into thin air. But hold up. When you say east, how far are we talking? Nevada? Because if the plan is to drop that smoldering heap of disaster in my backyard, I have a much better idea.
Hear me out: Texas.
Let’s just take this whole operation and point it toward the Lone Star State. I mean, they’ve got all that vast land under the big blue sky—wide-open spaces practically begging to host a debris dump. Plus, they’re the biggest state in the union, so they’ve got the room. And as far as I can tell, most of them are still proud card-carrying members of the “Ruby Red Republican Homestead Club.” They’re always bragging about being the best, the biggest, the boldest—so why not let them be the boldest at hosting the burnt remains of a natural disaster? It’s just one more badge of honor to sew onto that Texas flag.
And here’s the beauty of the plan: just drive right through Nevada. Don’t even slow down. Heck, we’ll wave at you from the roadside, cheering you on like the parade you deserve. Keep going until you hit that big Texas horizon, where everything’s bigger—including their capacity to handle a mountain of fire-ravaged debris.
I mean, c’mon. Texas loves a challenge, right? They want to be independent, self-sufficient, the rugged cowboys of America. This seems right up their alley. Let’s just make sure the GPS doesn’t get stuck on “desert” and accidentally dump the whole thing in my front yard. So if “east” means Texas, I say: giddy up. Ship it there and call it a day.
The three stooges will do nothing for other states or the country.
This is good news after so much bad news.
I hope you West Coasters are ready for your scolding from Bishop Bigmouth who'll be telling you to manage your water and forest floors better and that he wants to get rid of FEMA and have states manage their own crises, which is how it mostly works anyway.
Just looked at the Calfire Incidents website. The Otay Mt. (named Border 2 Fire) is only 10% contained. Calfire counts 264 fires so far in Southern California, most of which - thankfully - have been quickly brought under control. Only 9 are listed as currently active. https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents
The wind this morning was from the southeast so blowing smoke from Otay Mt. to the northwest and the coast but high level smoke. I woke up to see an orange sunrise to the east and a band of smoke to the northwest. Winds are forecast to die down and shift offshore by midday. Fingers are crossed that the rain, and even snow at high elevations in SD County, forecast for tomorrow & Sunday, will come to pass.
Thanks for the update, Tom. Lets hope the rain is strong, long, and steady to extinguish the fires. Mudslides must be horrible. I remember seeing pictures of houses being destroyed as the topsoil turned to mud and slid down the mountain side taking everything with it.
Stay safe, friend.
The orange turd was on the news this morning (10am CT) talking about his visit to CA. I had to turn off the radio, so didn’t hear much of the garbage I’m sure he said. Hoping to hear the hatred lies from you and others later. Glad to hear things are looking up. Hopefully no landslides.
Thanks. My daughter has been worried about La Jolla, where she has friends. Glad to see THAT is contained. It looks like the border fire(s) are further east.
Nephew (lives near La Jolla) says "they aren't fucking around here" when it comes to the possibility of an outbreak in an urban area.
Thank God!
You are our messenger of sanity and the updates we need to live through these tumultuous times.
Whew. Thank you for some good news!
Thanks for the update. Doing a little rain dance for Cali tonight.
“Rain is expected to start Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Officials welcomed the wet weather, but crews also were shoring up hillsides and installing barriers to prevent debris flows as residents returned to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas.”
Tom, this news makes me physically ill. The debris flow was far, far worse than the fires around Montecito.
A volunteer group called The Bucket Brigade worked non-stop for over a year after the disaster clearing properties. Nasty, vile, dangerous work.