“The last time we felt something this strong was during the Landers earthquake in 1992″

At approximately 3:43 PST, the earth shook and pools overflowed in southern California. Sitting on our patio, I noticed the room began to sway and shake. Looking out over  Encinitas, no one seemed to stir. For a split second, I thought it was my imagination. So, I posted a single sentence on Facebook & Twitter, “Did anyone else feel that?!?!” Nothing. For about 2 seconds. Then the responses came flying in over the social networks. An intense 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit Southern California & Baja, Mexicali, later to be upgraded to 7.2…

It seems at this early stage, nothing severe has happened here in San Diego. Other than pools overflowing, chandeliers swinging, and items tumbling off shelves, we seemed to have been spared. People as far away as Arizona and Nevada felt it. But what happened in Mexico at the epicenter – Guadalupe Victoria? Mexicali? No news from there yet. Word is telephone lines & TV stations are down in the area.

A 5.1 magnitude aftershock hit Imperial Valley, California. Tremors continued to shake up San Diego county from one end to the other, for about an hour after the initial quake. Experts say to expect a follow up earthquake, around  6 points in magnitude, over the next few days. To stay up to date, here is the US Government Geological website that monitors the earths movement and more.

Earthquake Advisory – US Govt

Ears Plugged? Now, FIRE!

What’s all that noise coming from Camp Pendleton!?! If you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night as a result of the incessant booms, ka-booms, and bada bang bada booms, you may be a little crotchety today. Smart remarks easily roll off your tongue like…

• Smoke em if you got em
• Boys and their toys…
• FIRE IN THE HOLE!
• Guys just wanna to blow stuff up…

So what’s going on over at Camp Pendleton?

Our Marines are currently engaged in mine-clearing and line-charge exercises. Depending on cloud cover and other weather conditions, the sound can (and does) travel for miles.

These are ‘Noise Generating Events’ (NGEs) if you share the military’s love of acronyms. (We came up with NO GeE’s…) The NGEs will continue through the night again this evening, and will continue round the clock until midnight tomorrow. After a quiet weekend, next week will see  more mine clearing and live fire exercises, however, they’ll be primarily during daylight hours.

Information about this current Noise Advisory is available on Camp Pendleton’s website, or by contacting Range Operations Division Office at 725-0358 during regular business hours, and the Command Duty Officer at 760-725-5061 after hours and during the weekend. If you call, be nice. This is what they do so that we can do what we do. So we lose a little sleep. It may be better than losing a lot of freedom.

Camp Pendletons Blowing Stuff Up Schedule:

Wednesday, Jan. 27

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am -2 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec

Thursday, Jan. 28

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey
• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 2 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Friday, Jan. 29

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Monday, Feb. 01

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Tuesday, Feb. 02

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Wednesday, Feb. 03

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Thursday, Feb. 04

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing lbs. High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Friday, Feb. 05

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Approximate Distance of Impact Areas From the City of Oceanside:
Zulu 17 km (10.5 miles)
Whiskey 23 km (14 miles)
Quebec 26 km (16 miles)

“For an unfortunate few, last weeks severe weather made a routine commute down I-5 risky business”

‘America’s Finest City’ donned her best storm weather gear this past week and braved tornadoes, hail, flash flooding, mudslides, thunder, and gale force winds. “Some of the worst weather since the mid nineties,” some said.

At the best surf breaks, there was not a wetsuit in sight. Joggers & cyclists abandoned Highway 101 and left the roads to their heavy metal friends. No dogs frolicked at Dog Beach, no humans strolled the boardwalk at Mission Beach… [Probably because most of the coastal streets in Mission Beach were flooded.] Ocean Beach pier shut down when massive waves began to crash over the top of the piers rails. SeaWorld shut down. Power outages shut whole neighborhoods down.

“Pelicans flew between cars traveling Hwy 101 near Cardiff Beach, battling winds that would allow a human to lean forward – and not fall over”

Last Tuesday, the National Weather Service in San Diego issued county-wide tornado warnings.  [TORNADO!!? San Diego doesn't get tornadoes. Right?] A tornado was spotted off Seal Beach, along with several water spouts off shore.

On Wednesday, the coastal cities of Ocean Beach, Mission Beach and Pacific beach were issued numerous flash-flood watches and high-surf alerts that would continue throughout the week. Further down south, storm drains coughed and sputtered. Refusing the excess water, they took pleasure in shooting it out and up into the air, like miniature toxic geyser spouts…

Flash flood warnings became a reality…

Coastal flooding was caused by a combination of high surf [15- to 20-foot breakers] strong south-to-southwest winds [gusts greater than 50 miles per hour] overland runoff from heavy rains, and high tides just under 5 feet – according to the Weather Service. “A perfect storm,” some said. With a high surf advisory running through late Sunday morning, as well as the usual ’storm water toxic runoff’ surf warnings, that would explain the absence of all but the most die hard of surfers. Tetanus shots anyone?

On Thursday, hail intermittently pelted windows along the coast as well as inland. Some coastal dwellers were seen boarding up their windows with plywood. “Like hurricane season in Miami,” one hollered out.

Even the strongest of swimmers were warned to stay out of the water. Boaters were urged to avoid launching. A small craft advisory was in effect from Northern California down to the Mexican border on Monday, and continued  into the weekend. The gale watch was active over several days into late Thursday evening. So unless you were an adrenaline junkie, insane, or had a submarine, the really, really, angry ocean was no place to be last week.

Much needed rain helps the ongoing drought conditions…

By 9 PM on Wednesday, 1.06 inches of rain had fallen in Cardiff, 1.25 inches at Montgomery Field, 1.87 inches in Rancho Bernardo, 1.18 inches in Poway and 1.46 inches in Escondido, according to the Weather Service. Inches more were added to the tally from Thursday and Friday. Welcome numbers to a parched state. And NO, this doesn’t mean we can leave the water running while we brush our teeth. We are still operating under drought conditions.

Power outages were a problem throughout San Diego county. Almost 100,000 residences and businesses lost power during the storms, according to San Diego Gas & Electric. Companies were kept busy removing downed trees from power lines and roads, as well as from atop cars. Rock slides and mud slides were plentiful and sandstone sea bluffs from one end of the coast to the other lost a little around their waistline.

Looking back on this past week, I am reminded of Dorothy’s OZ, Niagara Falls, Florida and a smattering of the Amazon, all sogged slogged together. One week we’re in a elemental blender, the next…sunbeams once again glint off the golden lotus blossom atop the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas. The wetsuits are back, joggers are jogging, the dogs are barking, and we are once again fighting for road space with the cycling hoards. In ‘America’s Finest City’, rebound is instantaneous.

For more information on emergency preparedness contact:
San Diego County – Office of Disaster Preparedness

(858) 565-3490

Resources:

10 News – San Diego
Fox5 News – San Diego
San Diego News Network

Photos: Car rollover by our JT (no, she was not driving when she snapped the shot) & OB Pier by D. Kohlbauer

I love my dusty beach casa by the tracks in Leucadia, smack in the middle of Leucadia Boulevard and La Costa Avenue.  When I can skip on over the tracks to the beach, or to grab provisions from the charming Just Peachy Produce Stand, I count myself lucky to live with conveniences close at hand.

“I knew that crossing the tracks by my house wasn’t, well, perhaps lawful, but…”

Looking both ways, I jumped the tracks like countless others have before me, and went on my merry way to terra firma on the other side. It was then it happened. “Hey you”, he yelled. I was shocked to learn from someone I can only identify as the  Railroad Police, that I was risking not only life and limb (?) but also…

“There’s a fine of up to $1000 for climbing up and down that embankment and over the tracks” he said.  “One thousand dollars?!?” I yelled back…

Well, I didn’t really yell – I muttered. He confirmed that my only legal option was to walk almost a mile in either direction to reach a crossing that was deemed “safe” by those who know about such things.  I replied that I would try to schedule my excursions appropriately. I was then given free reign to blissfully stumble along the crumbling edge of the paved street that was deemed safe.

“Later that day, I heard a conversation in Leucadia that I hadn’t heard before”

Sub-grade pedestrian crossings may be on the way, to the tune of something like $17 million.  Apparently the more moderately priced alternative of raised pedestrian crossings was ousted for the aesthetic blight they would cast upon this stretch of idyllic Highway 101.  Three crossings would serve Cardiff, south Downtown Encinitas, and south Leucadia.  A crossing in north Leucadia seems to have been nixed due to environmental concerns, but people still refer to four crossings in this plan.

Now, when I trek my new route with my trusty pup Kyra and my $1,000 safely in the bank, I will be watching for any changes coming our way.  A light at the end of the tunnel perhaps, to guide me safely over (or under) the tracks.

After weeks of rumor and speculation around the whale tank water cooler – the change of ownership is now official. SeaWorld San Diego, and other parks formerly held by Anheuser-Busch InBev under the leadership of Busch Entertainment Corporation (10 in all), have been acquired by Blackstone Group.

“They sold Shamu to a bunch of magicians?”

Not hardly. One of the world’s largest private equity firms, and partial owner of numerous other amusement park holdings including Merlin Entertainments (Legoland & SeaLife Aquariums) and Universal Studios parks, Blackstone has indicated that they intend to maintain the BEC in their position of leadership of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks. Over time, it is expected that BEC will continue their work under the new name ‘Worlds of Discovery‘.

Plans underway are expected to continue, and park visitors should notice little change when they return to SeaWorld and other favorite parks, with one notable exception.  The beloved Busch Clydesdale horses and their exhibit are slated to be relocated from the Busch Gardens.  Currently, there is not expected to be any shared rates or discounts among newly (if distantly) related parks, such as Legoland California or SeaLife Aquarium.   A big question however is if the new affiliation with the Merlin parks will change the standards of care for the animals of SeaWorld. Currently, Merlin has a strong commitment to not using animals in entertainment shows and the like, beyond portraying them in their natural habits & environments. How will this affect the thousands who come to see Shamu and the rest of his  slippery cohorts delighting audiences with breath taking leaps and watery antics?

Annually, SeaWorld welcomes more than 4 million guests, many of the return visitors. Many marine mammals rely on the care of the staff and facilities that are available there. All marine animals benefit from SeaWorld’s 45 years of work researching and preserving ocean life, as well as their extensive rehabilitation & release programs. The animals of SeaWorld have become accustomed to captivity and constant care. We trust our San Diego ambasadors will enjoy the same level of protection and care under the Blackstone Group, and continue to teach and delight generations to come.

Got water? We do. It’s everywhere we look!  Just gaze out over our endless Pacific Ocean, our numerous wetlands, lagoons, bays & estuaries. We’re flush with water!

“A round of water for everyone, it’s on the house!”

And it’s not just on the house, it’s all over the patio. It’s running down the driveway and making splatters on the back of our legs as we slog through it. It’s mushing up the flower beds and getting water stains all over our artsy wooden fences. It’s being forced upon us at restaurants and creating more work at hotels… We have too much water, right?

On June 1, 2009, San Diego County  effectively moved up to Alert Level 2: Drought Condition – Mandatory Restrictions

What in the Fiji water happened!?! It’s not like we’re all of a sudden drinking our recommended 8 glasses of water a day. On a grand scale of Level 1 -through 4 (4 being really really bad), we’re now at Level 2. So who is pilfering our water!?!

“Habit & Co is siphoning off our reserves…”

We fall into habits. We hit the same stores, end up at the same restaurants, date the same types, wear the same styles… When it comes to the habit of obliviously wasting water by the gallons per second, we need to snap out of it! 

“There are millions of us… small changes DO make a big difference“

Turn the water off while you brush your teeth… Avoid the morning stupor where you mindlessly check your skin tone as the water runs down the drain. At night, you can still brush and daydream, reviewing everything that did, didn’t or should have happened… just turn off the water.

Take shorter showers… Is fire hose pressure really necessary? Ladies, if you turn down the shower when you shave your legs, some of your shaving creme may actually stay on your legs long enough to give you that super smooth shave you crave. You men, do you really need to stay in the shower long enough to resemble the California Raisin dude? Got stiff muscles? Soak in a bath. You’ll save water and relax those pecs.

Get a broom, get some cardio… Dirty patio? Sweep it up, don’t hose it down. You can space out sweeping just as good as hosing. And, it’s a perfect time to mentally go over all those items you didn’t get to while brushing your teeth.

Can I get you some water? Avoid the watery crop circle on the table by refusing the offering if you’re not going to drink it. Didn’t get the offer? Don’t stiff your server if they don’t ply you with a glass  as soon as you’re seated.  Many restaurants are doing their part by serving water only upon request.

Water the plants, not the sidewalk… Level 2 mandates watering just three days a week, according to the provided schedule.  Got a rogue sprinkler head? Turn it around and stop watering the concrete, the patio, the neighbors walls, your kids…

Sweat house labor… Hotels won’t wash a duvet until it can stand up on its own, but they’ll wash the towels & sheets if they so much as look wrinkled. We don’t wash our linens daily at home, so tell the hotel, “not today please”. Millions of rooms times millions of washes daily – the water usage is staggering.

Workin’ at the car wash… You could wash your car on your lawn or leave it to the pro’s.  Anything else is a water waste. Newer car-wash facilities must recycle the water that they use. A word of caution… refuse the smelly tree shaped rear-view mirror dangler…

Need more incentive to conserve?

• First you get a warning letter…
• Then Citations ($100, $250, $500, $750, and $1,000)
• Next a Notice of Violation (Civil Penalties up to $2,500 per day per violation)
• Maybe get a referral to the City Attorney for Civil or Criminal prosecution
• Shut off of water service (NO water for YOU!)
  

Related topics & links:

• Evaluate your own landscaping for drought-tolerant alternatives
• “Saving water in times of drought” (Courtesy of SDNN.com)

Images: ©iStockphoto.com

“With Proposition K, are we pouring sand on top of a sieve?”

In a few weeks Encinitas residents will have another opportunity, or duty, to vote on an additional tourist tax.  In the name of preserving our beaches, Proposition K will demand a 2% tax on short term rentals that were previously excluded from a similar tax on visitor’s hotel and bed & breakfast rooms. Will this help in funding a solution to this vexing problem of replenishing sand loss?

“An ongoing sand ‘hand out’ or a permanent solution?”

A responsible voter has to ask themselves how this tax will be used.  Put to the preservation of sand that is being lost at a dramatic rate, as noted in the proposed amendment.  But, are the stewards of these funds looking for a permanent solution?

“Or, will we be yet again watching the waves roll in to reclaim what is theirs?”

The natural replenishment of sand to our beaches has been halted by urban development, including new commercial &  home construction, parking lots, storm drains, and sea walls. If Proposition K gets passed, perhaps the stewards of our tax dollars will act with vision, making our funds work well into the future.  If not, we may be back with our pails full of sand replenishing the beaches yet again.

“So many beaches…

so little time…”

The San Diego County coastline.  A 77 mile stretch of geographical & lifestyle diversity.  Where to live, play & roam? Where are the best places to go, do, and see all that each sunny mecca has to offer? At SDSC, our mission is to provide insight & provoke discussion, while showcasing “Americas Finest City Coastline”

Jack – CGO

Bookmark SanDiegoSunCoast.com!

Traveling from one coastal community to the next, we seek out the BEST each has to offer. We report the news and more. If it relates to the coast, you’ll find it here. So kick off your sandals and pitch your umbrella…

Welcome to The Coast!   JT – Editor