Aamused in Austin, TX

I woke several times last night as gusts of winds battered the cottage. News alerts this am tell me of gusts up to 77 mph have pushed through the bay until just about 20 minutes ago.

The rain seems to have gone through and we'll get a dry out now for a few hours, but the rivers, especially in Napa and Marin counties are still rising and have already broken all known records for flooding. Flood stage along the Napa river is typically 15-25 feet. We're now seeing 25-45 feet, well over the banks. And even if the rain ends, the run off will continue to swell the rivers making that situation worse. :( Mudslides and such are not quite the same problem here that they are in Southern California, but they do happen.

I am fortunate. I am not in the high Berkeley Hills north of campus, but I'm not in the flats near the marina either. I'm on relatively high ground. My house sits up 3 feet from street level and as you saw in the photos I posted the weekend before Christmas, my street tilts downhill and even when the drains aren't draining the water is swept by mostly by gravity. There is no flat spot near me for water to gather if the rain stops. While it is not impossible, I think the weather will have to be more catastrophic right over my head before I have to worry about seeking higher ground for me and the animals.

While Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties are gorgeous spots to live, a winter like this is a good reminder to me why I wouldn't live there.

Just to keep things interesting, levees are weakening, one breaking in Novato and we're having unusual high tide. So ringing in the new year is going to be very interesting.