How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
Although the risk of hurricane striking California is very low, knowing what to do when one hits could save your live and the lives of loved ones if an event similar to hurricanes Katrina, Sandy or Andrew as well as a tropical storm such as Debby, Marie or Nicole.
“Because Mother Nature has blessed California with a very diverse topography and we live in a very, very mobile society, Californians can go to the ocean one day, the beach the next and the mountains the day after,” said California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) Secretary Mark Ghilarducci. “Regardless of where Californians go, though, it’s important that they remember that some danger comes with the beauty of that area and the same is true if they are traveling to other states.”
Hurricane season began June 1. In anticipation of its arrival, the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center sponsored National Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 26-June 1.
“Even though the last time a hurricane made landfall in California is believed to have occurred in the 1800s, we are not immune from tropical storms affecting the Gulf of California and other parts of the Pacific,” said Ghilarducci.
He noted that although only one tropical storm has directly made landfall in California since 1900, coming ashore in San Pedro on Sept. 25, 1939, packing winds of up to 50 miles per hour, dropping nearly a foot of rain and is believed responsible for several deaths, California counties have felt the impacts of tropical storms or cyclones that did not reach land in California.
“Tropical Storm Kathleen didn’t make landfall in California in 1976, but the high winds and the flooding generated by it and its remnants were so severe that they caused more than $120 million in public and private-sector damages in Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, resulting in a federal disaster declaration for those counties,” Ghilarducci said.
“Hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes and other high-wind events can wreak considerable damage,” he added. “The tragic tornado in Oklahoma, damaging windstorms in the San Gabriel Valley in late November and early December of 2011, as well as hurricanes Sandy and Irene illustrate how intense wind conditions can impact a community.”
Even though 24 homes and five businesses suffered major damage, another 12 homes and five businesses, more than 200,000 residents were without power and emergency response and repair costs incurred by affected jurisdictions in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties totaled more than $34 million, no one died as a result of the emergency.
In comparison, last week’s tornado and the hurricanes caused of deaths and injuries, thousands homeless and prompted the mobilization hundreds, if not thousands, of first responders, volunteers and others to provide assistance, including of members of national urban search and rescue task forces based in the Golden State.
The Cal EMA secretary urged Californians, especially those who plan to visit states that are at risk, to take time to learn about hurricanes, tropical storms and cyclones, as well as storm surges and other hazards associated with them by visiting the National Hurricane Center Web site, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ .
Additional information on emergency preparedness is available at http://www.calema.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx .
Ghilarducci said it's a good time for Californians who haven’t already done so or who are planning to visit the East Coast, the Gulf Coast and other areas subject to hurricanes and tropical storms to review and adjust their emergency plans, add appropriate supplies to their emergency kits, make sure their flashlights and portable radios are operable and learn what they should do if they are in a hurricane or other wind-related emergency.
“Many of the preparedness actions they take now will help prepare them for the next earthquake, fire, flood or other emergency that strikes California,” he said.
Once they reach their destination, he said, Californians should “maintain situational awareness about weather conditions, roadways, evacuation routes and listen to a radio for information and instructions from local authorities if an emergency occurs or a warning is issued. Most of all be sure to cooperate with them fully.”
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – With the weather warming up and fire season here, residents recently took advantage of an opportunity to learn about being prepared.
Wildland fire awareness, prevention and safety was the theme of the day for the fourth annual Wildfire Safety Expo held at Kelseyville Lumber on Saturday, May 18.
The Lake County Fire Safe Council, local fire protection districts, Bureau of Land Management, Cal Fire and the United States Forest Service, along with other agencies and vendors all cooperated in what proved to be an informative day for approximately 500 local homeowners and their children.
The fire departments showed off an array of firefighting tools, including a live-fire training trailer, a variety of wildland fire suppression engines, local fire district engines and the emergency support unit.
Kelseyville Lumber, a strong supporter of the expo and local community events, generously donated the use of their facility for the event. They even helped inflate balloons for the kids.
An assortment of booths provided materials about the good and the bad that can come from a wildfire.
There was information about landscaping, fire resistant plants, hardening homes, emergency check lists, animal evacuation, and services to protect your home if damaged by fire.
Residents also learned about the local ham radio operators and the role they and agencies like the Red Cross play in emergency situations.
At the expo, homeowners were able see how they could help protect their homes in case of a wildfire and what tools are available to do the job.
Local fuel reduction companies had their equipment on display and were available for questions by interested residents.
One of the highlights held throughout the day were live fire demonstration by the local fire departments.
Another was when CALSTAR landed their brand new helicopter and demonstrated their coordination with the fire districts during emergency operations.
Officers from Lake County Animal Care & Control were on hand to talk about the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection (L.E.A.P.) group, which helped with animal evacuation during the 2012 fire season.
University of California Cooperative Extensioni master gardeners, Pacific Gas and Electric and the Natural Resources Conservation Service were all on hand to give advice about fire safe landscaping and plants.
Smokey Bear was a prominent figure throughout the day and children enjoyed the bounce house, sponsored by the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association, and overseen by Sparky the Fire Dog.
Members of the Cobb Mountain and Blue Heron 4-H groups, along with students from Lower Lake High School’s “Kids Club,” assisted with the children enjoying the bounce house.
The “Firewise Community” trailer was also on hand at the event. This education campaign is designed to encourage neighbors to work together to do the work necessary to keep their neighborhoods and properties fire safe.
The Wildfire Safety Expo provided adults and children with the opportunity to get up-close and personal with firefighting equipment and the personnel that protect them during the state's wildfire season.
The event provided residents with the information they need to create defensible space around their properties, and provide firefighters with a safer environment as they strive to protect lives and property during California's dangerous fire seasons.
All participating partners say they're ready to do it again next year, with even more activities and information available in 2014.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The official start of summer is just around the corner, and it's a great time to adopt a canine companion.
Want a dog to enjoy hikes, trips on the lake or walks in the neighborhood? Chances are the local shelter or the county's many rescue groups have just the dog for you and your family.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Female pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix is 7 months old.
She weighs nearly 26 pounds, has been spayed, and has a short brown and white coat.
She is currently in foster, ID No. 35880.
Chihuahua-wirehaired terrier
This male Chihuahua-wirehaired terrier is 8 months old.
He weighs nearly 10 pounds, has a long tan coat and has been altered.
He’s currently in foster, ID No. 36211.
Male Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix is 9 months old.
He has a short tan coat, weighs 4 pounds and has not yet been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 3, ID No. 36498.
Female Chihuahua mix
This female Chihuahua mix is 3 years old.
She has a short black and tan coat and weighs nearly 8 pounds. It was not reported if she had been altered.
Find her in kennel No. 4, ID No. 36406.
Male boxer mix
This male boxer mix is 2 years old.
He has a short brown brindle and white coat, weighs 47 pounds and has not yet been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 36409.
Labrador Retriever mix
This male Labrador Retriever mix is 2 years old.
He has a short brown coat and weighs 112 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he had been altered.
Find him in kennel No. 10, ID No. 36407.
Mastiff-hound mix
This mastiff-hound mix is 8 months old.
She has a short brown brindle and black coat and weighs 60 pounds. It was not reported whether or not she had been altered.
She’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 36411.
Chihuahua mix
This female Chihuahua mix is 9 months old.
She has a short tan coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been spayed.
She’s in kennel No. 18a, ID No. 36421.
Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix is 9 months old.
He has a short tan coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 18b, ID No. 36420.
'Peanut'
“Peanut” is a 5-year-old Pomeranian Chihuahua mix.
He has a short red coat and has been altered.
Shelter staff said peanut needs a home with no small children.
He's in kennel No. 20, ID No. 35966.
Terrier mix
This male terrier mix is 17 weeks old.
He has a short tan coat, weighs 15 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 21, ID No. 36303.
Pit bull terrier-hound mix
This male pit bull terrier-hound mix is 4 months old.
He weighs 18 pounds, has a short tan and white coat, and has been spayed.
He’s in kennel No. 22c, ID No. 36139.
Please note: Dogs listed at the county shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Despite satellite images that show vast networks of channels, past Mars rover missions have shown limited evidence for flowing water on Mars.
Now, rocks analyzed by NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover team, including Linda Kah, associate professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provide solid evidence that Mars had rivers or streams.
This suggests that the environment was drastically different than today's cold and dry conditions, with the potential to support life.
A paper on the team's findings was published in last week's edition of Science.
Since its landing last August, the Curiosity Rover has been looking for clues to whether the Martian surface has ever had environments capable of sustaining, or potentially evolving, life.
Critical evidence may include hydrated minerals or water-bearing minerals, organic compounds or other chemical ingredients related to life.
Scientists of the Mars Science Laboratory mission used images collected from the rover's MastCam, which includes two high-resolution cameras mounted onto its mast.
The cameras take full-color images and have filters that can isolate wavelengths of light that provide information about minerals present on the planet's surface.
As the rover moved from its landing site to its current location in “Yellowknife Bay,” the cameras captured images of large rock formations composed of many rounded pebbles cemented into beds several centimeters thick.
While such deposits are very common on Earth, the presence of these types of rocks on Mars has great significance for the Red Planet.
“These (rock formations) point to a past on Mars that was warmer, and wet enough to allow water to flow for many kilometers across the surface of Mars,” said Kah, who helped work the cameras.
The clasts, or pebbles within the rock formation, appear to have been rounded by erosion while carried through water, such as in a stream or river. The size and orientation of the pebbles suggest they may have been carried by one or more shallow, fast-moving streams.
Using published abrasion rates and taking into consideration reduced gravity, the scientists estimate the pebbles were moved at least a few kilometers.
Analyzing the grain size distribution and similar rock formations, the scientists believe the river was less than a meter deep and the water's average velocity was 0.2 to 0.75 meters per second.
“These rocks provide a record of past conditions at the site that contrasts with the modern Martian environment, whose atmospheric conditions make liquid water unstable,” said Kah. “Finding ancient river deposits indicates sustained liquid water flows across the landscape, and raises prospects of once habitable conditions.”
The mission will not conclude until at least 2014.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl .
COBB, Calif. – Two moderate-sized earthquakes were reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield on Saturday afternoon.
The US Geological Survey said in its preliminary reports that the quakes each measured 3.4 in magnitude.
The first quake occurred at 1:35 p.m. and was centered one mile north northwest of The Geysers and 14 miles south southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of 1.1 miles, the USGS said.
The survey received shake reports from Angwin, Kelseyville and San Francisco.
The second quake occurred at 4 p.m. and was centered one mile north northeast of the geysers and 13 miles south southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of 1.4 miles, according to the USGS report.
The USGS received shake reports from Middletown, Brentwood, Calistoga and San Francisco for the second quakes.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – An inmate escaped from the Lake County Jail on Friday night, only to be recaptured a short time later.
The male inmate was reported to have gotten away from the jail late Friday evening, according to reports from the scene.
The inmate, said to be a trustee and therefore allowed to work in various capacities, was said to have been found south of the jail on Hill Road.
A passerby reportedly helped apprehend the man.
Additional details were not immediately available.