2018 December
Rain & Mudslides / Operation Recovery / Fire-Damaged Trees / Back to School
To-Do List
Analyzing damage
Getting clear on Insurance
Navigate Recovery
Mudslide prevention
Moving mud around
Certified Arborist
Still not done
Debris Removal
HAZMAT-Inspection
Electricity
Water / Well
Biggest Challenges: Rain, Mudslides, and Back to School
Word of the month for December: Mudslides
We were unable to do basic mudslide prevention because the roads were still closed! Numerous pleas for help to the County Public Works Department went nowhere but empty assurances that they were well aware of the threat. They clearly had their hands more full just trying to focus on the public roads, which would be severely damaged in several areas and force soft closure (meaning closure to all but residents and emergency vehicles).
The first big rainstorms were approaching Southern California on November 28th.
That day was the first time we went to see our burned home and property, which only happened with dozens of calls and begging the volunteer sheriff on watch, who was very kind and understanding and arranged to escort us up through the back roads.
We only had a few hours until dark, and with drizzle already happening, knew we did have a lot of time to complete mudslide prevention efforts. Matthias and our helper just got to do some silt fencing and sandbags, and Diane put heavy tarps over the debris site to try to prevent the toxic material from entering the watershed and to protect whatever we might be able to salvage from getting irretrievably buried.
We had no idea what to expect, but we were all hoping not to go through similar horrible scenes in Montecito after the “Thomas Fire”.
The second rainstorm hit us very hard. We couldn’t open the gate, and the driveways and the burned structure were under several feet of mud.
We needed to rent a skid steer. Not an easy task to rent equipment on these days, as a lot of people were in the same situation and in need of heavy equipment. While others were shopping for holiday gifts and food, we found our main tool for the “mud removal” that would dominate our holiday activities 35 miles away.
In the midst of all this, the school opened again after 6 weeks of closure, only to close again not long after due to more…rain and mud. We dare not think of what it will be like for our son to make up the lost time in his critical junior year. Teachers and staff are being very kind. No one has a compass for the rough road ahead. Except kindness. And that’s a start.
Operation Recovery /Woolsey Fire Resource Center
We were trying to wrap our heads around knowing what’s next and where we were headed. Big help came from the Operation Recovery meetings organized by the Yorks, publishers of the Malibu Times & the one-stop Disaster Assistance Centers organized by LA County, where we could meet with various relevant local, state, and federal agencies about critical needs like getting copies of lost critical documents, information on debris removal, and what to begin to expect from the long rebuilding road ahead. We began to learn to navigate who’s who at the Regional Planning office, with positive talks with senior staff that helped calm our nerves at least a little.
Evaluation of our Fire-Damaged Trees
We had 200+ trees on our property. Rebecca Latta, our Certified Arborist, did a post-fire evaluation, finding
about 80% of our trees were seriously damaged. This was a heartbreaking step in our journey, and we very much appreciate Rebecca’s kindness and sensitivity to the emotional toll of our work together.
The next few months will tell us how many trees we must remove/cut down.
