First, some pictures. Erin took these Wednesday afternoon from the car on Turnpike overpass when the winds suddenly shifted and all hell broke loose. It was about 3:00pm.
This one is from the Fairview Overpass at about 8:00pm last night.
This was the moon last night about 10:45.
So, my night last night: All seemed calm even though we could see flames heading west. Erin headed to bed. I kept the radio on.
By about 10:30, the smoke was really becoming apparent overhead. Suddenly, updates came in and the mandatory evacuation area was declared all the way west to Patterson Avenue, which is just a mile away from us or less. I could hear the sheriff deputies using their sirens and bullhorns to evacuate that area. Our area hadn't been declared as a warning area, but I went into action and gathered photos, papers, a few clothes, and stuffed 'em into the trunk.
At about 1:00am, we got the reverse-911 call stating our status in a evacuation warning area. I decided to stay in the living room, so I rested on the couch and listened to the radio. Since things changed so fast, I was not able to really sleep. I had cat naps of about 10 minutes at a time, with half an ear on the radio. I smelled smoke, which seemed to be getting stronger. I would wake up with a thought of something else I should bring or do.
At one point, maybe around 3:00am, I heard sirens in the area. At the same time, the radio people were talking about "changes in the situation" and they were waiting for official word from the powers that be. It really scared me. I thought that they were coming to evacuate us. No call came, though.
Finally, about 5:00am, the smell of smoke diminished and the sirens went away and it cooled down. I got to doze. At 6:10, Erin's alarm went off. Yuck!
So, this morning there is no news. Dos Pueblos High School finally canceled classes. I had already decided to excuse Kevin and Erin in case we needed to evacuate.
Now, our current status. I've made reservations in a hotel in Santa Maria for tonight and tomorrow night. They will accommodate the animals, luckily. And they gave me a reduced rate. I don't want to stress the animals if we don't have to, so my current thoughts are to stay put until things change. Besides, I could use a nap. As long as the weather is calm, I may have a chance to do that.
With that in mind....... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........
1 comment:
I hope you are getting some rest. I won't call in case you are napping, but I'm still sending out thought for the wind to turn back on itself and stop this madness!
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