With the drought that has plagued California , Californians are just itching to get some rain. With this devastatingly dry weather our soil is ready to suck up moisture but unfortunately there is only so much water our soil can hold and once its saturated from a dense downpour we are sure to have mud slides. These are a few things you can do to make your transition from drought to El Nino not as drastic.
Most of us have to drive, so one of the first things we need to ensure is the safe operation of our vehicles. Make sure tires are not slick and still have plenty of tread left. Accumulated oil on the roads will make the roads very very slick. This is especially true during the first 15 minutes of rain. Remember the faster you go on the freeway the more you increase your chances of hydro planing.
1. check tires on vehicles
2. check windshield wipers
3. make sure your tire pressure is correct
unsafe tire pressure in wet weather can compound the problem by decreasing the contact patch between your car and the road.
As a mobile business we are always on the road delivering Eco-Dumpsters, or doing full service junk removal. Every morning during wet seasons we drive as if we are going into battle because you literally piloting a projectile with a bunch of other people who are texting and driving, talking on the phone, grooming themselves and as witnessed by us on one occasion, practicing drumming with TWO drumsticks.
We see a lot of unsafe driving on the road during the wet rainy season. The most frightening thing we see is tailgating during wet weather. This bad driving habit will get you into an accident and its not a matter of if but when. Making fast erratic movements on the road is also risky as well as failing to remember that traction is diminished in wet weather. The presence of oils on the road further compounds the problem.
I have personally clocked hundreds of thousands of safe miles on both trucks, military vehicles, personally owned vehicles and motorcycles so I know a thing or two about safe driving especially during inclement weather. Having driven a heavy truck on the roads of the Bay Area and beyond have given me a bit of insight of peoples driving patterns, behaviors and unsafe acts.
So in short
1. make sure your vehicle is serviceable
2. do not tailgate
3. visibility is usually limited, check that blind spot!
4. don’t text and drive
5. get your battery tested cold weather makes it harder to start a vehicle
6. do not get tunnel vision keep those eyes moving
We spend a lot of time in our homes and because of it we need to make sure our home is free of debris that may begin to decompose or create shelter for pests. Here are some helpful tips for storm preparedness.
1. check all gutters to make sure water will flow freely
2. consider stocking up on sandbags early as everyone will be rushing to get them if we get a considerable amount of water and our storm drain system becomes overwhelmed.
3. keep waterproof tarps handy in case of a roof leak, or emergency repairs
4. close all sheds, cover all crawl space access and crawl space vents to ensure rats, raccoons and other opportunistic critters do not make your home theirs. They can die when trapped and create a very smelly and expensive mess.
5. If you have any household chemicals ensure that they are sealed and away from the elements. Water run off does not get treated so our water literally flows from the street into the storm drain system and straight into the creeks that feed the San Francisco Bay. From there the water stays stagnant until it finally can exit through the San Francisco Golden Gate inlet and into the open ocean.
6. If you live in areas where moss grows please ensure all green moss has been removed from brick path ways and other potentially slick areas. Moss becomes extremely slick and can cause serious accidents.