Storm Watch

It is something I have gotten used to over the years, but it still seems funny when I think about it. Probably the most attractive thing about Southern California is the weather. It is hot in the summer with no humidity, and mild in the winter with no snow, unless you want to seek it out in the mountains. So you might think that the weather is not so much news driven here in town. Not so. It seems if we have a little rain the local stations go on "Storm Watch". We have been on Storm Watch here in Los Angeles for the last two days.

Reporters actually seek out street interviews with people who are in the rain. "How is the rain affecting your day?" Was one of the probing questions the reporter asked someone in Studio City. "Well, I had to bring an umbrella to work today, and it is a little wet out here." Her wrap up to this breaking story went something like this, "As you can see some of the drains are a little slow- causing the water to back up at the curb. This means you may get your shoes wet when you cross the street here at Ventura and Woodman. That's it for now. I'm Cynthia Infobabe reporting on Storm Watch 09... back to you Stud Groin."

Now this is just practice for the real story we all know is coming if the rain continues to fall. Mud Slides. The fires we have, almost yearly, destroy the vegetation that holds the ground, which keeps it from flowing down the hills in the rain and into some one's expensive mountain view home. It really is just a matter of time after covering Fire Watch in an area of town, when the news crew will be back at the same area covering the devastation of Storm Watch. A news organization could just leave the broadcast truck on the same street for a few weeks. It is almost certain they will be back. By then Cynthia will have enough practice asking, "How is the rain affecting your day?" that she can stick a microphone in the face of someone who has just had their house buried in four feet of mud, and ask it with no emotion whatsoever.

It is very foggy today... I wonder if they will be covering "Fog Watch" on the 9am local news.
As you were,
Jay