They survived six hours in a pool as a wildfire burned their neighborhood to the ground

www.latimes.com ^ | 10/13/2017 | By Robin Abcarian

[angcat]

I must have missed that part thanks. Very sad they did not take better care of the cat.

[MayflowerMadam]

“They choose to live there,”

Did I read the article wrong? Eleven floors in 1800 square feet? Seems odd.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Very sad they did not take better care of the cat.”

Really. Although I don’t see how Kitty could’ve survived with them as they had to go under water from time to time. A cat wouldn’t do that. And there’s smoke inhalation. I expect he is waiting for them at Rainbow Bridge now.

Of course, ideally they’d have left at a reasonable time, kitty in tow, in a CARRIER.

We have six cat carriers standing at attention in the garage in case of emeegency. You never know...

[nicollo]

Might be my cousin’s house... his father was a forester, so he knew to clear the trees in an area prone to fires. Even so, his garage door melted. Rest of the house was okay amidst total desolation around them.

[Thank You Rush]

“”If you have a pool and live in a wildfire prone area, why wouldn’t you have installed a home fire pump system with roof sprinklers?””

The neighbors had the pool.......

[expat2]

Not really. If there is a strong sustained wind blowing from a large body of water onto land, the wind pushes the water up and the level of the water near the land is significantly higher than normal. In the personal case I saw, the wind was blowing strongly up the chesapeake bay and the excess water could not get out since the upper end is closed off.

You can get a tidal wave if the strong sustained wind first blows from land to ocean lowering the water level and then quickkly reverses itself as the hurricane eye passes.

[angcat]

If they loved that cat they would have evacuated before it came to the mess they were in. I too have my cat carriers in a spot easy to access in case of the unthinkable. MEOW!

[BarbM]

Sort of like when the wind blows and makes snow drifts? One would say there were 4 ft snow drifts. The wind blowing after the main storm. right?

Does a storm surge flow water over the land like a big wave?

and it could be 8 feet deep water flooding the land?

[expat2]

The snow drifts don't usually go away as soon as the wind drops, of course, and it takes a very strong wind to pile up liquid water, as compared with much lighter snow.

Yes, if the land is say only 4ft above normal water level, an 8ft surge will spill over onto the land and only stop after the land gets to an 8ft altitude.

The surge is rather like the everyday tide, which is water pushed around by the moon's gravitational force, instead of the wind. Both will also be higher into a bay that narrows as one goes in further. See "Bay of Fundy".

[American in Israel]

I realise this is not the same couple but I thought it would balance your assertions.

[Tax-chick]

Yes, that’s a different location.