Is there any treat as lovely and autumnal as fresh-baked bread and pastries, fragrant and warm from the oven? Topanga is blessed with two amazing, homegrown bakeries that each produce glorious baked goods made with the best ingredients and with the thing that is so often missing from even the best commercial bakeries: love and a passion for baking. Meet the bakers in this issue of TNT! Our cover photo shows authentic French bread baked by Barbara Cannamela and Gilles Vandevivere of Kneady bakery, courtesy of kneadybakes.com. Cover design by Urs Baur.
Waves generated by the remnants of tropical storm Rachel pummeled the Southern California coastline this week combined with the arrival of the long-predicted Kelvin wave—a massive mound of water generated by the extreme El Nino conditions in the Pacific—have had a devastating impact on parts of the Southern California Coast. Beaches have been stripped of sand. A man died at Dockweiler Beach, after being pulled from the punishing surf. Streets and houses were flooded in San Diego, Laguna, and Newport. Thirteen oceanfront Long Beach houses were red tagged, at risk of collapsing into the ocean.
All along the parts of Pacific Coast Highway that run beside the ocean there were places where dramatic gouts of sea spray erupted above the level of the road. The surf swept through many of the properties destroyed by the Palisades Fire and onto the highway in places. The Santa Monica Bay was filled with construction debris, adding an additional hazard to waves. County crews raced to shore up damaged parts of the highway and place rocks on what was left of the sand at Westward Beach in Malibu to protect the eastern end of Westward Beach Road and the driveway to the Point Dume State Park parking lot. The Zuma beach completely disappeared at high tide.
The coast was spared heavy rains, but flooding and flash floods have occurred throughout inland mountain and desert areas, from California’s Coachella Valley, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
This was just the most recent round of damage during what has been an incredibly active Pacific hurricane season, but it was the first time we’ve seen how the Kelvin wave, which can raise sea level from between six and twelve inches and supercharge an already impressive storm swell. This storm system was mercifully diminished by the time it reached the California coast, but who knows what’s next.
This is already the busiest season ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific. In an ENSO neutral year (when ocean temperatures are in the normal range), hurricane activity on the West Coast usually begins to wind down in September, although the season officially runs until November 30. This year, a superheated Pacific continues to generate new tropical storm systems. Simon is heading towards the coast of Mexico this week. Another tropical system is already forming behind Simon. This one will be “Trudy.”
In an effort to stay ahead of what is already a wild weather year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has declared a local emergency over El Niño concerns. What does that mean for Topanga residents? The emergency proclamation frees up the county to quickly allocate resources where they are most needed and seek state and federal assistance.
“We’re not going to wait for flooded roads, evacuation orders or power outages to figure out who is responsible for what,” declared Supervisor Hilda Solis, chair of the County Board of Supervisors. “This is not about predicting exactly where or when a storm will hit, it is about making sure that we’re prepared for what could come and have the resources and coordination in place, ready to meet those challenges,” she added.
No one knows how much rain may fall this winter, or how bad the damage will be, but county crews have been out clearing flood channels and road drainages.
Residents are encouraged to clear their own drainage channels, clean roof gutters, fix leaks, deploy sandbags (available at the Topanga fire station), and check emergency supplies.
Most of the weather focus so far this season has been on storms and coastal hazards, but peak fire weather has now arrived, and it has the potential to be severe. We all need to stay alert, report any sign of fire or smoke, and make sure we all have a go bag with essentials.
t’s also important to make sure that all family members have both an evacuation plan and a shelter in place plan. Longtime Topangans know that self-sufficiency is essential for life in the canyon. When things go wrong, this community can find itself cut off from both the coast and the valley. Being prepared for the worst—even if it never comes (and we hope it won’t!)—is essential.
What will this winter hold? No one knows for sure, but it’s already been a wild ride and we’re only halfway through October. Get ready!
Stay safe, be well.
