Before we begin, I would like to note that the McBournie Minute officially turns a year old today. Here’s to another one. Now enough of the self back-patting. One last thing, congratulations to Your 2007 World Series Champs the Boston Red Sox. Moving on.
By now, we’ve all heard about the forest fires currently ravaging parts of Los Angeles and San Diego. From how it looks at this point, it was the work of an arsonist. Let’s all hope they find the person or people responsible. Thousands had to be evacuated, untold amounts of damage to property and probably some people got killed.
They should have seen it coming.
Do you remember middle school science at all? Remember learning about places that are inherently dangerous? Guess what, it doesn’t just apply to textbooks. Growing up, I heard constantly how dangerous the California hills were for two main dangers: debris slides and fires, the former being the more common one. This sent a clear signal to me, even as a kid: don’t build a house there.
The same principle applies to other areas of the world, for example, flood plains and barrier islands. Sure, it’s really nice to have waterfront property. You can’t beat the views, and there is almost never any danger, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to live there. Flood plains are pretty self explanatory. Barrier islands act as barriers for the coast. They block the strong storm surges caused by storms and hurricanes. Oh yeah, and they are constantly being eroded and moved.
This, however, does not stop development in such areas. Mankind keeps expanding into more remote areas because of the beauty, ignoring the risks. Soon, we forget there is any danger at all, and when something like this happens, we all stand back in shock.
Folks, here’s a little advice: don’t build a home in a naturally dangerous area, and if you do, get some good insurance.
