Faithful reader Devon Pettengill sent us this useful note:
I did a little internet research to find more information about the debris flow, flash flood, and mudslide risks Altadena may be facing this week. Here are a few of the links I came up with:
First, here is the online version of a booklet prepared by the LA County Department of Public Works, entitled "Homeowner's Guide for Flood, Debris, and Erosion Control." I found this in the Current Conditions section of LACounty.gov's C.A.R.E. website (http://dpw.lacounty.gov/care/), which offers resources for LA County residents affected by the recent fires. The homeowner's booklet has a lot of good information such as how to properly fill and use sandbags to deflect debris flows and flooding. There is a lot of detailed information about how to create permanent defenses against debris flows, though hopefully such substantial fortifications won't be necessary for any of us!
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wmd/HomeOwners/enter.cfm
Second is a PDF document listing the locations where people living in the unincorporated areas of LA County can obtain sandbags. I'm not sure if the sandbags are free, but it is possible that they are.
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/fire/file/sandbags.pdf
(Ed: we've gone ahead and published the Station Fire sandbag locations)
Lastly, for the scientifically curious, is a report from the US Geological Survey about debris flows in recent burn areas in Southern California. The report includes the why, where, and how about debris flows in burn areas, as well as a page of safety and preparedness information about what to do before and during a heavy rain storm.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3106/pdf/FS-3106.pdf
I hope your readers will find this information as useful as I did! Keep up the great work!
