8-14-08 - DREAM - I was living in a large house that was being remodeled - that means - the work was only partly done. At the same time, people wanted to start celebrating with a party and I had a lot of things downstairs that belonged upstairs and a lot of things upstairs that belonged downstairs. The children had things in the north rooms that belonged in the south rooms and things in the south rooms that belonged in the north rooms.

My husband had built bookshelves in a hallway closet at the top of a new stairway which was beautiful and all the books were already on the shelves, but the floor hadn't yet been installed that led to the rest of the upstairs - in other words, you couldn't get from here to there at the top of the new stairway.

Outside, I had gone to get the mail from the mailbox and the man living next door hadn't picked up his mail recently and there were envelopes and packages strewn along the road.

I could hear his voice singing in his house so I knew he was home. All of a sudden, he came out with a wheelbarrow and needed help picking up his mail. The man turned out to be Jack Nicholson - the actor. I had to help him as I was right there. There was so much mail, he couldn't do it alone.

The road looked like Highway 1 along the coast of California. I looked over the cliff edge into the ocean and down in the water were herds of deer swimming for their lives and on the rocky shore were mountain lions and bears, waiting for the deer to come ashore.

I didn't know why the deer had gone into the ocean. They wouldn't do that without something fearful driving them.

There was no way I could help them at the time, especially from where I was atop the cliff, so I continued home and saw my daughter on the edge of the cliff, wearing her beautiful bridal gown, but covered in mud because she was trying to rescue the deer.

I yelled at her for ruining her bridal gown, but she didn't care. Rescuing the deer was more important.

I went back into the house. I had to wash my daughter's bridal gown, but the washing machine wasn't working.

One of the male guests tried to help me get the washing machine going but the bottom of the tub and the drain was full of pieces of magazine pages, so I needed to call the plumber.

Another one of the guests stopped me and asked where I kept my cookbooks because he remembered I had an old large green cookbook that people used to use in the old days when they cooked everything for themselves.

I pointed up the new staircase and told him he would find the book in the new bookshelves but he'd have to look for himself.

I was feeling overwhelmed with the work that wasn't yet finished, moving things around to where they belonged, even with help from the guests, it was too much for me and I started to cry.

Just then the plumber came and he said that while he was there, he wanted to check out my automatic pet watering system he had installed previously.

I told him that it was no longer there because the city had come and taken away the land with bulldozers because it was falling into the ocean, so I had to water the pets by hand.

The plumber said, "Well, I promised the movie stars who love pets that you would have an automatic pet watering system - Its in my written contract, so I'll have to install a new one."

He went outside before I could even answer him.

Then I heard a man singing outside, "We're building a whole new world!"

and then I heard a different booming deep male voice on my left sing, "STDs"

and I woke up

DEER IN THE OCEAN

OCEAN SWIMMING DEER VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXoWwm8JfQo&feature=related

OCEAN SWIMMING DEER VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8_SQWfpT8&feature=related

DEER SWIMMING ACROSS BENNET LAKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT6TQmALvRU&feature=related

DEER SWIMMING ACROSS A CANADIAN LAKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct640Fjme10&feature=related

DEER SWIMMING http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2A1_oM3RZw&feature=related

OCEAN SWIMMING DEER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIonYWz_0dU&feature=related

DEER SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN AT CAPE MAY

http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/21356-slideshow-deer-takes-swim-cape-may-inlet

DEER SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN NEAR MALIBU, CA
http://www.wzzm13.com/red_player_1/red_player.aspx?aid=34303&sid=94396&bw=hi&cat=172

THE FOLLOWING STORY IS FROM http://cellar.org/
I couldn't tell where this place was. DF.

Last Saturday morning, my buddy Bo Warren and I were trolling for stripers in the Bay. We were 1 1/2 miles offshore in about 80 feet of water contemplating why the fish weren't biting. We looked back to check our gear and saw something odd in the water. Was it a seal?? Can't be, we don't have seals around here. On closer look, it turned out to be a buck deer that was WAY off course. He was desperate and barely staying afloat.

I've seen deer swim a river or bayou before. When you see that, the first thing you notice is that they are powerful swimmers. Their head and shoulders are out of the water and they make surprisingly good headway. This critter was just keeping his nose up and looked like he'd been swimming all night long. In fact, he was so worn out that he swam toward the boat probably thinking it looked enough like land to him. When he got closer though, he wasn't sure what to make of the two dudes on board, and backed off.

So, since the fish weren't biting, we thought we'd give this buck a hand.

Turns out Bo grew up around cows and was really handy with a bowline. He lassoed the deer on the first try!

Bo grabbed his neck, I grabbed the flank, and we barreled over backwards into the boat. Before I knew it, Bo was on top of him and had him tied up just like a calf.

We hit the throttle and shuttled him to the closest beach - Kent Point. I beached the boat and we carefully unloaded the deer onto the sand. The whole time we kept thinking he was going to kick the snot out of us. He never did though; he was totally spent. We untied him and jumped back. Too weak to stand, he just sat there quivering. We even picked him up again and put his feet underneath him, but he still couldn't walk.

Don't know if he made it or not, but I think his chances were vastly improved. Hopefully he recovered after time. When you're out & about, ya just never know...

Be sure to check out our friends at Neatorama for more neato items all the time!

NEW JERSEY MALL - 2007

An injured deer wandered into a mall in New Jersey, where it stumbled into a Sears and scared all the shoppers.

Jeff Hrusko, who works at the Sears in the Ocean County Mall tells All Headline News (AHN) it "broke through a plate glass window and charged through the store. I heard breaking glass and turned my head in the direction of the noise, to see a badly hurt deer hurdle passed."

"The poor doe made it about half way through the men's department, before it buckled under its broken leg. It then dragged itself to a small storage room, where I and fellow co-workers attempted to close it in. As my co-worker approach, it once again attempted to run, scaring a good many customers. Finally, the injured deer collapsed where you see it here."

Hrusko says, "The Dover police came shortly after, and dragged the deer outside, and put it down with two shots to the head. Accounts vary as to why the doe charged the glass."

Deer Euthanized After Ocean Rescue June 26, 2008

PACIFIC PALISADES -- A young male deer who was rescued by lifeguards after running into the Pacific Ocean at Will Rogers State Beach was euthanized because of "severe injuries" suffered before the rescue.

Los Angeles County lifeguards were called to the ocean about 3 p.m. Wednesday to help rescue the deer, which ran out of the Santa Monica Mountains across Pacific Coast Highway to the ocean.

Capt. Robert Torres, a lifeguard with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said that when he arrived, the animal was about 300 yards off shore.

The deer had tried to come ashore near some rocks, but lifeguards and personnel from Los Angeles Animal Services "did our best to chase it back toward the sandy beach," Torres said.

The deer was taken to an Animal Services facility. He was later euthanized due to severe injuries sustained prior to the ocean rescue, Cindy Wood of the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter said.

A deer going into the ocean was "a first" as far as the Animal Services official knew.

One woman who jogs along the ocean said that she thought the deer was "a strange looking whale."

Feb 18, 2008

Poachers Suspected Of Attacking Deer With Cars Near Ocean Shores

Washington state investigators say poachers apparently are using cars to run down deer near Ocean Shores. via KIRO-TV Seattle - story no long available

When Fire Island National Seashore was established more than forty years ago, the sighting of a deer was rare.

Fire Island Map

Map. Fire Island is unique in its closeness to New York City and in its separation from it. One does not have to move through layers of Bain de Soleil in ...
www.fireislandcc.org/map.html

Doe feeding at dusk

Today, deer are commonly seen at many parts of the park.

Photo by Diane Abell.

Deer can be dangerous, especially during rut.

White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus

A first-time visitor to Fire Island is probably thrilled to see the seemingly tame deer on the island. However, these deer are potentially dangerous wild animals, posing both health and safety risks for humans. The number of deer on some parts of Fire Island is believed to be at an unhealthy density, which also puts pressure on other animal and plant populations.

More than forty years of vegetation studies in Fire Island’s Sunken Forest reveal an alarming reduction in the number of herbaceous plants and small trees in the understory of this rare maritime forest. Some scientists are concerned that the century-old American holly, sassafras, black cherry, black gum and other trees may not be able to regenerate. The lack of establishment of new seedlings coincides with the implementation of wildlife protection policies on Fire Island in the 1970s.

In 1974, Fire Island’s deer herd was estimated at 50 individuals; by 1989, it was close to 500, and in 2003 it was estimated to be 500-700. From population density studies conducted over the past seven years, it is estimated that 300-500 deer now live on Fire Island.Average deer density varies widely between locations.

2002 Estimates:

Robert Moses State Park - 18 deer/km2
Lighthouse Tract - 60 deer/km2
Kismet-Lonelyville - 44 deer/km2
Ocean Bay Park/Seaview - 65 deer/km2
Fire Island Pines - 75 deer/km2
Davis Park - 65 deer/km2
Fire Island Wilderness - 30 deer/km2

Deer stretches its neck to reach garden plants growing over a fence near a beach house.

Deer prefer to eat succulent ornamental plants, and their population density has grown quite large where abundant food and shelter is available in communities.

Since 1993, the National Park Service has conducted a research project cooperatively with university scientists from SUNY Syracuse, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and several communities to determine whether an immunocontraceptive vaccine can be useful at Fire Island as a deer management tool. In September, bait stations are set up to lure deer into appropriate areas. Female deer are darted with PZP (porcine zona pellucida), which prevents does from becoming pregnant.

In February 2006, in order to study the efficacy of administering PZP at alternate times, Fire Island National Seashore and HSUS initiated a winter deer-darting operation throughout the mid-island communities of Corneille Estates to Sailors Haven. In September 2006, darting was again conducted in the western communities. A winter darting program was conducted again in 2007.

During winter 2006, a total of 75 vaccines were successfully administered during a four-week effort. For winter 2007, a total of 72 PZP vaccines were successfully administered during a five-week effort.

The National Park Service continues to gather data necessary for the possible development of a deer management plan.

Where unnaturally large populations of deer are able to thrive, even native plants are showing signs of distress.

Whenever possible, natural processes are relied upon to maintain native plant and animal species and influence natural fluctuations in populations of these species. The National Park Service may intervene when certain criteria are met. (2006 Management Policies, Chapter 4, Section 4.4.2)

Fire Island National Seashore’s objective is to determine what management actions are needed in order to keep the deer population within a range that will not significantly impact natural populations of vegetation within the boundaries of the park.

Fire Island National Seashore is also one of the parks in NPS Northeast Region that is currently hosting a research project relating to human-wildlife interactions. Cornell University's Deer, People and Parks web page provides updates as this study progresses.

Deer easily overturn garbage containers and spread litter, which attracts rats and other rodents that may transmit diseases to people.

The National Park Service is concerned about the health, safety and welfare of both animals and people.

The long-standing tradition of feeding deer by people on Fire Island is not in the animals' best interest. Deer behavior and population dynamics—and possibly their susceptibility to chronic wasting disease (CWD)—are adversely affected by deer being fed by humans.

As a primary host for adult ticks, deer play an indirect role in the transmission of Lyme disease to people.

Please help keep our
Fire Island wildlife wild—Never Feed Deer.

For More Information

You may check the 2002 brochure "Deer and People" and recent Fire Island National Seashore science conference abstracts for more information:

NPS Technical Reports:

H. B. Underwood's complete document White-tailed Deer Ecology and Management on Fire Island National Seashore (Fire Island National Seashore Science Synthesis Paper), Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2005/022, National Park Service. Boston, MA, September 2005, is available as a pdf document (35 pages).
Density and Herd Composition of White-tailed Deer Populations on Fire Island National Seashore by H. Brian Underwood, Frank D. Verret and James P. Fischer, Technical Report NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR/98-4, National Park Service, MA, June 1998 (62 pages).

Cornell University's Deer, People, and Parks reports:

Perspectives of Residents in Communities Near Fire Island National Seashore by William F. Siemer, Kirsten M. Leong, Daniel J. Decker and Karlene K. Smith, HDRU Series No. 07-8, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University,
December 2007 (70 pages)
Identifying Capacity for Local Community Participation in Wildlife Management Planning; Case 1: White-tailed Deer Issues at Fire Island National Seashore by Kirsten M. Leong and Daniel J. Decker, HDRU Series No. 07-1, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University,
February 2007 (39 pages)

For the safety of your pet, the park's resources, and other visitors, you must keep your pet on a leash and under control. Leashes must be six feet in length or less, which decreases the chance of a dangerous encounter with wildlife.

FROM: http://www.nps.gov/fiis/naturescience/deer.htm

DEER VS MOUNTAIN LIONS

Predators and Prey—A Case of Imbalance
Mountaint Lions and the North Kings Deer Herd

Predators are usually considered to be beneficial to ungulate populations by keeping animal numbers in balance with the habitat and removing the weak and old individuals. It is also often said that:
predators cannot control a healthy deer population, and
predator numbers are controlled by the prey population size.

According to Don Neal, a research scientist with the Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station (PSW) (now retired), stationed in Fresno, California, a recent cooperative study by PSW and the California Department of Fish and Game has shed light on a situation where these theories appear to break down. In the study area on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, apparently mountain lion numbers have increased while deer numbers declined to about one-eighth their peak numbers in the 1950s. Neal, along with George Steger (also with PSW), studied the California mule deer in the Sierra Nevada from 1970 to 1985 as part of an interagency effort to reverse the decline. This effort showed that the decline was primarily due to loss of fawns during the first 6-8 months of life.

The focus of the study was the North Kings deer here, a population of California mule deer. This herd declined from an estimated 17,000 animals in 1950 to about 2,000 animals in 1988. While the initiation of the decline was probably a result of overpopulation in the 1940s and 1950s, the lack of recovery seems to be related to heavy predation.

Fawn survival a problem

The research team captured 96 newborn fawns and equipped them with radio collars over a 7-year period from 1979 to 1985. These radio transmitters not only allowed the researchers to determine the locations of the fawns, but they also sent out a special signal when the fawns died. This allowed researchers to locate the fawns soon after they died and determine the cause of death. They were able to monitor and determine the fate of 90 of these fawns through their first year of life.

All the fawns were healthy at time of capture, and their size and weight were comparable to those of fawns from other mule deer herds. During the 7 years of the study, fawn survival ranged from 13% to 42% and averaged 38%. Two percent were killed in accidents, 9% died from disease or birth defects, and predators were responsible for the deaths of 51% of the fawns. Of those taken by predators 3% were killed by bobcats, 22% by bears, 27% by coyotes, and 49% by mountain lions.

Neal and his team were at first surprised by these results, because the general perception was that mountain lions were in very low numbers in California--the State Legislature had placed them under protection in 1971. It was obvious that it would require a healthy mountain lion population to be responsible for the death of an average of 25% of all the fawns born each year, as was the case in the North Kings deer herd.

A look at the mountain lions

The next step was to look at the mountain lion population and gain some understanding of movements and density. They knew this would not be an easy task. So Neal and Steger asked for the cooperation of Ron Bertram of the California Department of Fish and Game. This team uncovered some surprising results that run contrary to accepted understanding of mountain lion biology and behavior.

First, they selected a 215-square-mile area within the 800-square-mile range of the North Kings deer herd and set out to capture as many lions as time and funding allowed. Over a period of 3 years, they captured, radio equipped, and tracked 22 mountain lions. During the study they discovered 15 adult mountain lions that were using the area but were not radio-equipped, yet were known to be different individuals.

The lion locations determined by radio triangulation were computer plotted onto large-scale maps and aerial photos. This gave a good picture of daily and seasonal movements of mountain lions in the study area.

Home-range size

By plotting the locations of each cat on a map, the scientists were able to determine the size of the animal's home range and the relationships between individual lions. Home ranges of 14 adult lions tracked over 12 months averaged 285 square miles. Those of females averaged 244 and those of males averaged 340 square miles.

Seasonal movements

Each time a mountain lion was located by radio triangulation and plotted on a map or aerial photograph, the elevation was also recorded. This combination of location and elevation showed that most of the mountain lions migrated to high elevations in the summer and to lower elevations in the winter, following the patterns of the deer--their traditional prey.

However, detailed examination of the data revealed that several of the lions remained at low elevation in the foothills and valley edges throughout the year. They were found on ranches and among the rural communities. These lions occupied territories below most of the migrating deer in the winter, and these areas had no deer in the summer. This leaves only small mammals, livestock, and pets for a diet--a good way for a mountain lion to get into trouble.

Density

With the data on the radio-equipped cats, plus information on the known individuals without radios, the team had the data they needed to estimate mountain lion density.

Of the 22 lions captured and radio equipped within the 215-square-mile study area, not all were alive with operating radios during the entire study period. Therefore, one date was selected, January 1, 1987, and only the 14 lions alive and being monitored on that date were used to estimate density. This of course, underestimates the lion density because it does not include lions without radios using the area , or those with radios that have quit transmitting.

The team recognized that the number of lions using an area and lion density are not the same thing. Every radio-equipped lion used some area outside of the 215-square-mile study area. They calculated the proportion of each animal's home range that was within the study area and used that to estimate density. In other words, if a lion's home range was 50% within the study area, it was counted as 0.5 cat. Therefore, the 14 adult cats using the area on January 1, 1987, adjusted to a total of 6.3 lions, or 2.9 per 100 square miles. When the scientists added in the known cats that were not radio-equipped, making a similar adjustment to allow for only partial use of the study area, they calculated the density of adult mountain lions in the study area at 6.1 per 100 square miles.

Home-range overlap

Mountain lions are generally thought to be solitary animals that defend their home ranges for their exclusive use. But, when you look at the density of mountain lions and the size of the home ranges, it's easy to see that if all the female lions maintained exclusive home ranges, there would be 7.2 times as many acres of home ranges as there are available within the study area.

This can only mean overlap and home-range sharing.

Extensive home-range overlap was found between females, between males, and between females and males. One female shared parts of her home range with five other radio-equipped females and an unknown number of males and unradioed lions.

Reproduction

Other workers have stated that when the density of mountain lions reaches the point that home ranges overlap, breeding stops. However, in this study reproduction continued at what appeared to be a normal rate; and litter size averaged about 2.5 kittens. When the known kittens are added, the density of all mountain lions using the area becomes 10.6 per 100 square miles.

Adult deer are being killed also

To estimate the effect of mountain lions on adult deer, Ron Bertram and his coworkers with the California Department of Fish and Game radio equipped 25 adult does. Their work revealed that a sizeable number of does were being killed by mountain lions in the central Sierra Nevada. Of 25 does radio equipped over a period of 3 years, 12 have died. One was killed by a coyote and 11 by mountain lions.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that in the study area, mountain lions appear to be controlling an already depressed deer herd, and they are apparently not benefiting the population by taking only the weak and old. The density of the lion population is not limited by the need for exclusive territories, and reproduction is continuing within this high-density population.

The magnitude of the problem can be understood when we consider that the ratio of deer to mountain lions has apparently declined from an estimated 750:1 in 1950 to about 30:l in 1988. Deer populations cannot meet the needs of the mountain lions and maintain their numbers with the heavy predation that these ratios bring. This is especially true when you consider the additional predation from coyotes, bears, and bobcats.

Livestock losses to mountain lions have become a serious concern of this team. The number of permits to take mountain lions that are killing livestock reached an all-time high in 1988, with 145 issued and 62 lions taken. Neal, Steger, and Bertram expect livestock predation to continue at a high level or even increase, and deer to continue to decline in all but the most favorable years.

To learn more about this subject, contact PSW Station and request Research Note PSW-392, titled Mountain Lions : Preliminary Findings on Home-Range Use and Density in the Central Sierra Nevada.

FROM: http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:g3HXukOx_JEJ:www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/Popular/mtnlions.html
+deer+mountain+lions&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

THE BEAR

Courtesy of Jeff Rense
http://www.rense.com

CALIFORNIA FALLING INTO THE OCEAN

Will California Ever Fall into the Ocean?

Fault Types
Strike-slip faults move horizontally. Normal and reverse faults involve vertical movement. Thrust faults involve angled vertical movement.

San Andreas Fault. Images: USGS
Click to View

If plate tectonics followed the laws of Hollywood physics, Los Angeles would be tearing violently from the mainland as we speak. The scenario would probably include a buxom seismologist and a secret nuclear warhead, too.

But rest assured that, outside the movies, California Island won't be popping up on any maps. Much of California does lie along the San Andreas Fault, an 800-mile fracture in the Earth's crust stretching from the Gulf of California to San Francisco. Here two immense plates of rock, floating on a semi-molten layer, meet and move against each other in what's called a strike-slip fault. The stress caused by this movement can result in devastating earthquakes, like the 1906 quake that destroyed much of San Francisco.

But the motion between these two rock masses beneath the Golden State is mostly horizontal. That is, the Pacific plate is moving "up" the coast, not away from the North American plate, at a rate of dozens of millimeters per year.

So in several million years, residents of San Francisco will see the L.A. skyline out their windows.

http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/070220_california_fault.html

6 Dead in Soaked, Crumbling California

In Santa Paula, the swollen Santa Clara River devoured 150 feet of airport runway.

By NICK MADIGAN

Published: February 23, 2005

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., - Wind-whipped and rain-lashed, its coastal mountains crumbling, California endured another day of chaotic weather on Tuesday as the number of dead from the latest round of storms reached six.

As if the pounding rain was not enough, officials on Tuesday morning issued tornado watches for much of Southern California - an unusual occurrence here - on top of warnings about hail-filled thunderstorms carrying winds up to 65 miles an hour.

The six deaths attributed to the storm since Sunday included two people killed by mudslides that crashed into their bedrooms and a cross-country skier buried by an avalanche north of Lake Tahoe. Another was a civil engineer who fell into a huge sinkhole in the San Fernando Valley. Two others died in traffic accidents.

During the morning rush on Los Angeles's highways - an experience best left to the hardy even on a good day - the police reported some 120 accidents, up from about 50 a week in dry weather. A two-mile section of the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu was closed by a landslide on Tuesday, hours after the police had reopened the Hollywood Freeway, a stretch of which was under several feet of water for four hours; some drivers, their doors jammed, escaped through windows.

In Silver Lake, a hilly neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, a house slid 30 feet down a hill, its two occupants still inside, and was prevented from sliding more only by a robust pepper tree. The residents were unharmed, if suddenly homeless.

Another hill gave way in the exclusive Los Angeles quarter of Bel-Air, northwest of Beverly Hills, sending a swimming pool, the 20,000 gallons it contained, and the backyard that surrounded it tumbling into a neighbor's property below. The pool's owner, Lonnie McKee, told a television reporter that she knew something was amiss when she noticed "cracks in my patio."

"It just got progressively worse," Ms. McKee said. Her house and two others were red-tagged by city inspectors, an act tantamount to condemnation.

Six damaged houses were red-tagged in Pasadena and their residents ordered to leave. In Highland Park, just north of downtown Los Angeles, four houses on a sodden, slipping hillside suffered a similar fate, with their owners evacuated during the night.

Other houses were on the verge of collapse in Culver City, just south of here, and in Laguna Beach, in southern Orange County.

In Ventura County, more than 150 feet of runway at the Santa Paula airport disintegrated into the surging Santa Clara River, forcing the authorities to close the airfield.

"We've lost nearly the entire west third of the airport," Rowena Mason, president of the airport's association, told The Associated Press.

On Tuesday afternoon, after surveying the wreckage of homes in Silver Lake and Highland Park, Mayor James K. Hahn of Los Angeles estimated citywide damage at $10 million and asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to urge President Bush to declare a state of emergency for the city, which would make it eligible for federal disaster assistance.

Officials are bracing for what may end up being the wettest year on record. As of Tuesday, downtown Los Angeles had received 33.95 inches of rain since July 1, more than twice the amount usually recorded in the 12-month period that is to end on June 30. Already Los Angeles has been through its fourth-wettest year since the record was set in 1883-84, when it had 38.18 inches of rain.

As the week began, severe thunderstorms laden with hail battered Northern California, although their severity had decreased by Tuesday, when two small tornadoes uprooted trees and damaged roofs near Sacramento, The A.P. said.

Rain near sea level means snow in the mountains, where some ski resorts have seen as much as 10 inches since Thursday. An advisory from the National Weather Service said an inch or more of snow per hour could fall in some locations before Wednesday. The snow level was expected to fall to around 5,000 feet, and as low as 4,000 feet in some places, the weather service said.

A flash flood watch remained in effect across much of Southern California on Tuesday. The current storm is expected to taper off by Wednesday, although sporadic showers could still appear through the weekend.

Meanwhile, commuters on Tuesday afternoon found themselves stymied on their journeys home by a slew of highway closings because of flooding, landslides, road damage.

California Landslide Damage Sites

Map of Major California Landslide Damage Sites

Activity related to recent heavy rainfall (1997-98)

Listings include landslides that damaged residences or caused casualties. Road blockages are too numerous to include. This is not a complete list, but probably represents most major landslide problem areas reported since the beginning of the 1997-98 winter season. The information is from a variety of sources, including the California Office of Emergency Services, the U.S.G.S., F.E.M.A., California Department of Mines and Geology, and the press.

Blucher Valley landslide, Sonoma County

County inspectors have red-tagged one house and yellow-tagged another on the Blucher Valley landslide, southwest of Sebastopol. This slide, located on very gentle (10-20 degrees) dip slopes of the Wilson Grove Fm., originally moved in 1983, and is moving again. Tom Spittler (CDMG) visited the site on 3/9. Spittler reported that fractures are present down the face of the sli

Canoga Park, Los Angeles County

A rain soaked hillside collapsed in Canoga Park area of the San Fernando Valley forcing the evacuation of 5 homes and threatening several other residences further down the hil

Cloverdale

A chronic earthflow is beginning to show renewed movement. The earthflow passes under existing viaduct on U.S. 101 between Cloverdale and Squaw Rock

Cuyama River, Santa Barbara County

A portion of the bank of the Cuyama River collapsed along highway 166. 13 miles east of Santa Maria, taking along a tractor-trailer rig and a half dozen cars, including a California Highway Patrol cruiser. Two people were reported killed.

Daly City, San Francisco County

February 6, 1998, unstable slopes threaten seven homes in Avalon Canyon, Daly Cty.

Hurricane Point, Monterey County

Hurricane Point/State Highway 1/Palo Colorado Canyon (from California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Situation Report. Monterey County of 3/10/98). S.H. 1 is closed by a landslide at Hurricane Point (8 miles NW of Big Sur). "Walkover" pedestrian traffic is now permitted from 5;30 to 6:30 a.m. aod 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The "walkover" is steep, muddy, and covers a distance of 1/2 mile. Caltrans engineers reexamined the slide last week after new cracks were detected in the remaining roadway and the hillside above the road. The estimated time for repair is 4 weeks. In the meantime, Caltrans plans to utilize the Old Coast Road as a detour around the Hurricane Point slide. The Big Sur landslide situation remains dynamic; it will depend on the weather and on progress made by Caltrans on S.H. 1 repairs.

Klamath River, Siskiyou County

Klamath River, State Highway 96, debris flow. This debris flow occurred on about February 14 in Siskiyou County, 12.7 highway miles north of the Humboldt County line . It blocked about 2/3 of the channel of the Klamath River, covered several hundred feet of S.H. 96, and had an estimated length of 1000-2000 ft.

Laguna Beach, Orange County

A wall of mud plowed down Laguna Beach Canyon Road about 12:30 am, killing two people and injuring 10. It damaged two houses and eight homes were evacuated.

Laguna Nigel

Laguna Niguel. A USGS geologist reported that a landslide occurred between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. this morning, March 19, 1998, confirming television news reports of the same. No injuries or deaths resulted from the slide. The landslide occurred in an engineered slope that had shown signs of distress for the last 3 years. Cracks had been opening for a few days before the slide and houses at the head of the landslide were red tagged. Movement accelerated last night and several homes were evacuated. The toe of the landslide impacted condominiums and flattened about 5 or 6 of them. Two houses fell over the edge of the head scarp. Three others are hanging over the edge and could fall as soon as the nearly vertical scarp retreats. The houses were built in 1986. Local officials are making some effort to stabilize the slope, but details are unclear. No further information is available at this time.

Lahonda, San Mateo County

A USGS geologist reported that the main slide has been moving continually since at least 2/11; rain late last week caused accelerated movement. Three houses at the head of the slide are red-tagged and five other houses are on or adjacent to it. The slide appears to be enlarging in the downslope direction. USGS employees have been mapping the landslide and trying to determine its relationship to another, smaller landslide downslope from it. San Mateo County drilled three wells in a road that crosses the slide and has been pumping the wells since 2/26. Trenches were also dug and lined with plastic to provide drainage. The county geologist plans to drill exploratory borings and has been seeking USGS input on boring locations.

Las Lomas, Monterey County

Flora Drive slide continues to move toward Las Lomas Drive. The toe has reached into the yards of three homes on Las Lomas Drive at the foot of Flora Drive. Seven homes on the west side of Las Lomas Drive may have to be evacuated if sewers or other utilities are disrupted. Monitoring and assessment of the slide continues.

Update 3/20/98 Little change as of 3/17/98 . The slide continues to move at a reduced rate but could accelerate if significant rainfall occurs next week. Houses on the slide are holding together, the two worst-damaged homes are in the middle of Flora Drive. Access and utility problems continue.

Malibu, Los Angeles County

On Februarv 8, 1998, an ocean-eroded cliff buckled causing one home to collapse and threatened two other

Morro, San Luis Obispo County

Reactivated landslides from 1995 storms are now affecting 34 homes, with 7-8 damage

Niles Canyon Debris Flow

There are a few newly initiated debris flows and several others reported earlier show signs of recent activity.

Oakland, Alameda County

Oakland, Alameda County, seven homes have been red-tagged, an additional seven homes have been yellow tagged, and 11 others are being monitored for potential trouble.

Orange, Orange County

Accelerated movements are occurring on a reactivated landslide (from 1995) in the Anaheim Hills, part of the City of Orange. The Vista Summit Way landslide damaged 2-3 houses and may affect 3 city blocks.

Orinda, Contra Costa County

Orinda, Contra Costa County, three houses remained in precarious situations after a mudslide threw them off their foundations.

Pacifica, San Mateo County

Residents of seven homes evacuated on Esplanade Drive, Pacifica on February 22 as a result of sliding and erosion of the cliffs. In the last two weeks the 30 foot tall cliff has retreated 10 feet to the rear edge of the homes.

Update 3/20/98: Esplanade Sea-cliff Erosion, Pacifica—Cliff erosion, soil falls, and rock falls have slowed. There is still water seeping from the face. Material that is failing is mainly a fluvial deposit on top of a marine terrace deposit. Plans are progressing for seawall and other mitigative designs.

Ventura County Pipeline

A hillside gave way rupturing an oil pipeline sending 8000 gallons of crude oil flowing into the ocean and severing a natural gas pipeline that sparked a 100 foot flame.

Rio Nido, Sonoma County

Rio Nido, Sonoma County, 167 houses have been evacuated. Debris flows initiated on February 6 (10:35 p.m.) first failure, followed by a larger failure at 1:30 am on February 7 with destruction of 3 or 4 homes.

Updated 3/20/98: Following last Thursday's rain, a small debris flow (30 cubic yards according the Sonoma County Web page) occurred at Rio Nido. A monitoring station (E-1) appeared to register 1-2 inches of movement a few days afterward, however a USGS geologist indicated that the apparent movement was caused by the instrument wire being caught on a twig which deflected it out of line. The only real movement recorded since the instruments were installed occurred late in February at E-3, on the toe of the south chute. This movement slowed gradually to a stop. Landslide problems continue in nearby areas including the Fitch Mountain-Healdsberg area where two homes remained red tagged, and Goldridge where three homes were red tagged.

San Bruno, San Mateo County

Crestmore Boulevard, San Bruno Ð The Crestmore landslide began to occur in manmade fill in 1997 in steep-sided, manmade fill on top of the