The first of three monster storm systems blew into San Francisco overnight, and I awoke to howling winds and driving rain. Around 7 a.m., I heard an explosion, and my building lost all power. My flat was cold, dark, and I couldn't brew coffee. Here alone, I wrapped up in blankets and waited in the silent dark.
An hour later, the power came back on, and I fired up the wall heaters and ate some warm, salty edamame, and drank a coffee. The winds started to gust even higher, and The Weather Channel calls them "hurricane force," 80 mph and up.
Every now and again, the storm seems to pause; then it ramps up again.
Lately, another power line sliced down at the corner, and a big PG&E unit showed up to pin it back up.
Driven by the wind, 20-foot waves are smashing the coast; we have ongoing flash flood and mudslide warnings. In The Mission, the water courses through the streets driven south to north, sort of like an airborne flood.
On the bridges in the Bay Area, big rigs have turned over, and traffic has stopped. Delays at the airport have exceeded two hours all morning.
In the Sierra, the roads are closing, and up to three to five feet of snow is falling. Winds at the highest peaks may reach 150 mph tonight...
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