Dry December 2011

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Chris

December 2011 was the third driest on record in San Francisco. San Francisco rainfall records date all the way back to 1849. Several other San Francisco Bay Area locations experienced their second driest December. In addition… December 2011 was the driest on record in Salinas.

Locationdecember 2011  record driest/    normal Dec
                rainfall          year              rainfall

Santa Rosa      0.09 2nd driest   0.00 1989         6.19
Kentfield       0.12 2nd driest   0.00 1989         9.91
San Francisco   0.14 3rd driest   0.00 1876,1989    4.56
Oakland         0.08 2nd driest   0.00 1989         4.58
San Jose        0.08 2nd driest   0.04 1989         2.61
Santa Cruz      0.13 2nd driest   0.05 1989         5.68

Location        December 2011     previous          normal Dec
                rainfall          record            rainfall

Salinas         0.05 driest       0.07 1989         2.44

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
precipitation climatology
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                     Jul 01-       Jul 01-       Jul 01-  Jul 01-
                     Jan 2         Jan 2         Jan 2    Jun 30
station              2012    pon   2011    pon   normal   normal
------------------   -----------   -----------   -------  -------
SFO int`L aprt        2.87    37    9.70   124     7.85    20.65
Oakland aprt          3.07    38   10.67   132     8.07    20.81
Moffett Field         1.77    34    5.77   110     5.26    14.68
San Jose aprt         1.55    30    5.30   101     5.24    14.90
Santa Rosa aprt       4.46    30   19.61   132    14.84    32.20
Salinas aprt          3.31    78    6.93   162     4.27    12.83
San Francisco DWNTN   3.37    36   12.76   136     9.40    23.65

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pon – % of normal follows the July 01 – Jan 1 amounts.

See: http://www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/drought_indicators/us_drought_monitor

June 2011 Esplanade Update: 340, 330, 320

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Chris

340 Esplanade Patio Damage

In today’s San Mateo County Times article “Mother Nature threatens more Pacifica cliff apartment dwellers” by Julia Scott we learned that 340 Esplanade is the latest apartment building to experience substantial damage. According to the article, the area indicated by the yellow arrow in the first image,

The apartment building’s side walkway has caved in, taking a drainage grate and safety railing with it. Residents still have full use of their bluff-top patios…

According to the building’s owner Dennis Thomas, the damage was caused by surface water drainage problems on neighboring 330 Esplanade.

This thumbnail shows the current damage (see the SM Times article for the full size image):

These two images show the state of the same portion of the bluff (click for larger size):

August 15, 2010

February 26, 2011

330 Esplanade to be Abandoned

Farshid Samsami, owner of 330 Esplanade, said he now plans to walk away from the property because he can’t afford to fix the bluff. Samsami said,

Things could be solved in advance with the cooperation of (FEMA and) the other agencies, but they say they won’t do it. … We’re not asking for a handout or a whole repair, but at least help us. … It seems like their hands are tied as well.

Once the property is abandoned it will probably become the responsibility of cash-strapped Pacifica. Pacifica building official Doug Rider said that the city might try to get FEMA funding to protect the property.

320 Esplanade: Apparent Neglect

Meanwhile no work is taking place at Millard Tong’s 320 Esplanade building. Both 320 and 330 Esplanade are enmeshed up in lawsuits with a former contractor over unpaid bills and accusations of negligence.

For more information including an update on the sea wall below Lands End, and additional current photos see the June 23 2011 San Mateo County Times article “Mother Nature threatens more Pacifica cliff apartment dwellers” by Julia Scott.

The graphic of the 340 property line was courtesy of Redfin.com: 340 Esplanade Ave.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Seawall Armor Below Land’s End (Photos)

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Chris

Those squares of reinforced steel cement represent portions of a sprayed cement “shotcrete” wall with soil nails. I can see how they’ll eventually link up. I guess they’ll have to go almost up to the 30′ surf line, but that’s a little harder to imagine.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

340 Esplanade May Be At Risk

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Chris

Erosion continued behind the buildings along Esplanade Ave in Pacifica, CA. Most notable, and downright scary, is a nearly unsupported patio behind 340 Esplanade. (Click an image for a larger version.)