Monday, 15 July 2013

IN WHICH THINGS ARE NOT SO "NORMAL"

WELL.

No flooding in River City. Things are a bit cleaner, for all the rain.

But continuing rain and soggy soil does lead to other things. Like soil erosion. And riverbank cave-ins.  



 These happened in roughly the same locations as the land slides about a year ago. People put enormous houses on the crest of the riverbank; the weight of the houses plus lots of water, have loosened the land and we got — landslide! Some of this is only a building or two from where we live. 

Fortunately, when the building of this apartment was done, lots of shoring was arranged for the riverbank. I don't think our building is about to move. Anywhere.  



Meanwhile, where the city removed one span of the Traffic Bridge, it thought it would seed the riverbank, in order to help it stay firm. Sadly, heavy rains have cut through some of the area — here are huge gullies in the land which has been seeded. 

But some things carry on. A Robin keeps watch from a very effective sort of sentry post.




And this just in . . . 

The City of Saskatoon issued a recommendation for residents of eight properties along 11th Street and Saskatchewan Crescent to voluntarily evacuateThe City has been monitoring a slope failure between the two streets since June 25 and is concerned over recent results showing approximately one metre of lateral movement since June 25 and a recent daily average movement of three centimetres.

I guess the landslide must be getting serious, or more serious. Or something. Fortunately, we're not included in this recommendation. Which is good.

Blessings and Bear hugs, folks.

45 comments:

  1. Land slides are scary. My sister in law lives in Studio City, California and her house is on one of those high mountains.

    Dark Thoughts Blog

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    1. And I hope your sister stays safe.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete
  2. I hate to see all that rain and land ruined up there - we don't have as much, but a lot more than normal. I wonder what is going on with the weather this year. Sandie

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    1. I'm reading a book about a "little ice age" which hit Europe from about 1300 to about 1850. There was major climate change. The most significant change was the end to predictable weather patterns.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete
  3. When I visit CA and drive in along highways out of San Francisco to Santa Cruz and see those bare hills with just brown dirt, I think that at some time after the rains, that it would be a scary place to drive. I also see lone houses above a cliff over the ocean and think "What were they thinking?" Mother Nature sometimes doesn't think a house should be there. Insurance costs must be astronomical. In the east, many houses are built along streams and rivers. . In heavy rains,they are always flooded.

    Glad you are high up.

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    1. In Alberta, where there has been so much flooding, new rules are coming into place. If you build in a known flood plain you won't be able to get insurance (or disaster assistance if there is another flood). Brutal, but perhaps necessary.

      But I bet the proposal will cause all kinds of problems. What if whole towns are situated on flood plains?

      Blessings and Bear hugs!
      Bears Noting
      Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

      Delete
  4. Wow, that does sound bad. I am glad you are safe x

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  5. I hope it all works out and nobody has to lose any property. My, it's been a very busy and eventful time in River City, Bear! :-)

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    1. It has been an eventful time right across prairie Canada this year, DJan. Far too eventful.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  6. I'm still worried for you, Bear, with all that rain and subsequent runoffs. Should you wish to leave Dodge City, you can head on west and move down the coast to your little old Port Orford's friend who is having a great summer weather.

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    1. Thanks for your concern, Rosaria, but Bears are high, dry, and safe.

      That said, the thought of moving to Port Orford is very tempting! It seems like such a delightful community.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  7. Hi Bear, can't imagine having to evacuate our home ~~ for any reason. Landslides are terrifying to contemplate. Glad you are OK in that fortress of a building you live in ...

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    1. Having to leave one's home, and the chance it will slide all the way down the hill, are difficult to consider. I well and truly wonder why the city let anyone build huge houses there.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  8. A mud slide must be a horrible sight to watch. But people always want to play "king of the hill" and don't think of the dangers. Happy you are safe and snug in your cave.

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    1. Talk about people being the creators of their own demise. If you're going to do something like thad, build your house on the rock well away from the edge. And build a gazebo on the crest. The gazebo is light enough that it won't cause load problems, and if it goes, it's not much of a loss.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  9. Hope your building doesn't shift. Houses on heights overlooking something are always nice until the heights start descending.

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    1. When they built this fortress, they did a huge amount of riverbank reinforcement — lots and lots of cement pilings in the ground. I think it would take a nuclear weapon to move this building.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

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  10. I guess this is a very busy time for the city planners and engineers.

    Hoping your den stays on top of the cliff.

    xo

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    1. Indeed, Frances. I understand there is a special meeting of City Council this week to go over a report on the situation. Not good.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  11. Yee-ikes! What a mess. I'm glad your building is not affected but will be thinking about those affected. May their bear caves be stable soon.

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    1. I'm afraid the other Bear caves are becoming less and less stable all the time. More rain forecast overnight and tomorrow. And the bank is still shifting. (Maybe we could lock Evil Twin in one of those houses?)

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  12. I don't know what kind of weather you have there, but keep caution dear Bear.

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    1. The weather has been peculiar, KK. Not at all in the normal patterns. I guess we're caught in some climate change.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  13. My goodness - how scary for those folks who have been affected by this - hoping no one has been injured. So happy your building is on solid ground - I imagine bears do not like to slide.

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    1. Scary times for all of us. Strange weather and strange shiftings of the earth. (A mile downriver is even more of a problem.)

      Beas like sliding on snow. Sliding in houses is another matter!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  14. Whew, lots of landsliding! Southern CA is not known for it's rain, but we had a whole section of coastline (roads and homes) fall into the ocean after a particularly bad storm. It's definitely not fun.

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    1. NO, not fun at all. Sad that it is happening to people.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  15. It seems people never learn from mistakes made previously or those made by other people made elsewhere. You'd think it was a well known fact now that bare hills slide in the rain and that a built on riverbank will crumble. Mother Nature thinks on a larger scale than man does. A measly apartment building is nothing to her. I don't mean yours by that. I am glad yours is safe.

    xox

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  16. Please don't slide away.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. I very much doubt we'll be going anywhere. And thanks for your best wishes.

      Others may not be so fortunate.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  17. Just stopping by to say hi.
    Rain? I would just be happy if the temps would drop to the 60's and the humidity would go away.

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    1. Dry and in the 60s (high tens in Celsius) would be just very delightful. That's not likely to happen. We're looking at temps pushing into the 80s. Sigh! Not at all fit weather for a Bear.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  18. We have had some horrible slopes falling over the years. Most famous are the wealthy mansions in Encinita area. They were built high up of the ocean bluffs in the 70s. Some are slipping into the ocean.
    "Build your house on solid rock" makes sense.

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    1. You can only overlook basic principles for so long. They then can snap back and bite you, as your house slowly sinks into the ocean.

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  19. We witnessed some pretty major landslides when we lived in Portland, including seeing islands of trees on one of the major roads after whole sections of hillside came down at once. One of my doctor friends mentioned the property next to his was no longer for sale because it had all slid down a steep slope in the woods.

    I'm glad to hear your building will stay safe.

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  20. Flooding seems exceptionally bad in a lot of places, recently. I hope that you and yours continue to stay safe. Hugs to you.

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  21. WOW...hold on tight up there. Sending solid vibes your way.

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    1. Thanks for your concern. Things are really quite good for us. But it has been a very peculiar year. Climate change is an uncertain and unsettling reality.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

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    1. Will do, thank you!

      Blessings and Bear hugs!

      Delete
  23. That doesn't sound good- I'm glad your home is safe.

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    1. The whole event is a bit un-nerving Terri. Thanks.

      Blessings and Bear hugs.

      Delete
  24. I thought I left a comment.
    Just wanted to wish you well.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh, I see that the comment has to be approved.
    Guess you did not approve it.

    ReplyDelete

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