[ExI] California storms

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of
BillK via extropy-chat
...
Subject: [ExI] California storms

I've just seen a news report that California is being hit with bad storms
and floods.

<https://inews.co.uk/news/world/california-storm-trees-homes-floods-2890594>
...
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The report also said -
Just to the south in San Jose, emergency crews pulled occupants out of the
windows of a car stranded by floodwater and rescued people from a homeless
encampment alongside a rising river.
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>...That might be the homeless camp that Spike was posting about a few
months ago.

>...I hope we hear soon that our California members are OK.

BillK
_______________________________________________



Hi BillK,

Since I already offered a goofy riff about sawing up the local tree which
blew over, I should post a more sober commentary to go with it.

In that news story and others linked to it, you likely saw a constable
standing on a bridge in which water was occasionally splashing up onto the
road surface.  That tells you the water level below that bridge: it was
right up to the understructure.

California has a mild climate, seldom seeing frost.  People are pouring
across the southern border from all over the world.  California is not
building many new homes, certainly not enough to house all the new arrivals.
So... a lot of people live underneath overpasses and bridges.  This can be
done.  We take our scouts camping up in the Sierras on winter survival
training exercises.  (Note: I don't do that particular form of insanity
(opting instead for warm-weather insanity.))  We do regular winter campouts
down here in the flatlands.  It really isn't that hard to survive outdoors
in California, and even easier as you go south towards Los Angeles and San
Diego.

Consequently... plenty of people come to the USA and choose homeless here
rather than homeful wherever they come from.

If one is going to live outdoors, an overpass or under a bridge makes
perfect sense.  It is warmer at night down there.  If one goes to most
places along a waterway around here, especially underneath bridges, there
are people living there, and some structures more permanent than a tent.
Once in a while, not as often as Jingle Bells but more often than the leap
year, rains come fast enough to sweep away those encampments.  This year it
did, and last year, but not for about 5 years in a row before that.  The
encampments were growing that whole time during the drought.  Now... they
are not there anymore, at least the structures aren't there.  Rushing water
carried the debris out into the bay.

I recognize that I offered only observations and no suggestions regarding
the growing problem of rampant homelessness.  If I am going to post a goofy
riff on cutting up trees, I should at least acknowledge that ja of course
California has a huge problem with homelessness and it is getting worse
quickly, with no plausible solutions in sight.  We can't even close the
border.  The masses want freedom and capitalism, even if it means they must
camp out here to get there.

spike