Devastation in Sonoma County - After Wildfire Blog Post

I will start by saying that family was not harmed and our property was not either. But the hills and the blackened streets nearby - just 2 miles or more away tell an entirely different story of what happened starting 10/9/17 and continued for nearly 2 weeks. Wild winds over 50 miles an hour hit our nearly rural areas of Sonoma County and led with hurricane/tornado type effects to embers flying a further reach than imagined. Our beautiful wine country hills were filled with fire late at night on 10/9 and through conditions related to drought, summer heat and the fierce winds, also had flames entering our urban Santa Rosa areas- even so bold as to cross the freeway. Just typing these words brings to mind the devastation I saw this past week with buildings guarded by the National Guard (including my kids' school), and gutted buildings that used to be workplaces and shelters for horses whose riders were expecting a lesson the next day.

I attend a Catholic church and today there were 20 or more persons sharing stories of their homes being taken from them in Oakmont or Fountaingrove neighborhood. A parish called St. Rose, next to the neighborhood Coffey Park, has probably hundreds of families with that same story to share. My kids attend a school affected by fire and will have altered conditions for attending class this calendar year, with expected normalcy returning in 2018 to their old campus.

Gratefulness is what I feel and a sadness that won't leave given that I know the uncertainty and suffering brought to so many of the neighbors near me. Our town already had a homeless population without stability and many in the agricultural/wine growing trade with lower pay or even NO PAY due to their grapes or facilities being burned down, will also be thrust into an uncertain future with housing that won't be affordable when they need it and shortages even if the housing did exist in the right price range.

The resilience shown by those affected is beyond belief and I hope it will persist. I know faith and hope are central to my way of being and I hope that I can be of support and assistance to those in need in some way. I am working in my profession toward helping those who are older and have chronic conditions and when I read of families with deaf/hard of hearing stories of failing to be told about the evacuation, I know we need to do more to help this population. There was even a death of a woman using a wheelchair who would have needed help as well as many seniors who may not have had a cell phone next to their bed to have been warned in time to leave.

My county is making strides to learn from this experience. Our first responders have thank you signs everywhere in town (and we all feel that every single one of them who came from near and far was nothing short of heroic to the highest degree).I hope our power company and those who plan for emergency situations in the future will work to ensure safety and preventative actions to alleviate future situations like this. I pray our community will come together in this time of need. I lived in New York and was working in Manhattan on 9/11/2001 and that city experienced pain and devastation and lost and I know how it changes a place and its people.

"From the ashes we will rise" says a bumper sticker I bought to help the county and I know this will be true. If you are reading this blog and want to help, reach out to Redcross, Redwood Credit Fire fund, or show your solidarity with a bumper sticker that comes with a donation to fire relief at www.foggysideup.com.