Update

Outside the rain pours and the wind howls. But still it is not as bad here as it is in many other parts of the Bay Area hammered by sheets of water blown sideways, almost parallel to the ground, by gusty winds of up to 70 mph. On the tube, you can see continuous broadcasts of flooding in different places, 18-wheelers overturned by the strong winds and big rigs colliding on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge forcing CalTrans to close the bridge since early in the morning and clogging up the highways and roads around Marin County. Massive traffic jams up and down 101 and 580. North Bay has been the most drenched but the storms are moving south. Trees and power lines are down in different places and flights in SFO are delayed. Power is out for 50,000 in the Peninsula, 20,000 in East Bay, etc., etc. There are warnings of pounding waves and high surfs of up to 30 ft along the coast so people are told to stay clear. Just why anyone would even venture out to the beach on a day like this bewilders me. If your home is threatened, you can go get free sandbags at many places. The ski resorts are closed as they hunker down for up to 8 feet of snow this few days. And in the midst of all the chaos, a touching human/animal story. A family of beavers in Martinez had built a dam in Alhambra Creek - residents in this flood susceptible area do not have the heart to remove the beavers. These hardworking animals have built up quite a following over the past year. So people resorted to lowering the dam and cutting off the branches that the beavers use to build their home, to reduce the chance of flood but the beavers were soon back at it, rebuilding the dam. This morning, one of the younger beavers was seen behaving oddly and sent for treatment. The poor critter is sick and blind and now undergoing blood tests and anti-biotic treatment.

So this is our first experience of a major weather condition in California. We are huddling at home, peering occasionally out the windows or front door at the rain. It is past noon and the rain will soon ease up as the storm clouds blow south.

Parched California is getting drenched with a vengeance.