It is a beautiful sunny day mid-Aungust day in Southern California. However, in Los Angeles County, all government and school offices are closed.
Why?
The National Weather Service, along with other authorities, warned for weeks about a tropical storm that would hit Southern California on Sunday night and Monday. This cyclone was expected to be of “life-threatening” intensity.
On Saturday, CNN reported, “California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for a large portion of Southern California, as the state prepares for a historic hurricane expected to cause extreme rain and flooding.”
The headline of Time magazine read: “Tropical Storm Hilary could cause life-threatening floods.”
The National Weather Service has warned residents in the Southwest that they should prepare for “catastrophic floods and life-threatening situations” with the worst effects expected on Sunday or Monday.
The Los Angeles Times ran a headline Sunday which read: “L.A. Unified Closes All Schools on Monday To Ensure Campus Safety After Hurricane Hilary.”
This message was sent to every mobile phone in the area on Sunday afternoon and evening.
“Emergency Alert: Severe”
National Weather Service FLASH FLOOD advisory is in effect for this area until 3 am PDT.
This situation is dangerous and life-threatening. Do not travel until there is an order for evacuation or flooding.
I drove with my wife for two hours round trip from Pasadena to Simi Valley and back. The last time I saw so few cars on Los Angeles’ freeways was in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. People seemed just as terrified as they did back then.
The cause of the panic this time was much less obvious. They only needed to look out the window or walk outside their home to see a moderate but steady rain.
I and my wife drove from Los Angeles on Sunday night to Simi Valley to attend a wedding. It was clear that the groom had been in a panic. During the meal, the groom informed me that 40 of the guests who were supposed to be there canceled at the last minute.
I felt shocked and angry. Perhaps even more than the groom, who on the surface seemed to dismiss it.
The most important event in a person’s life is their wedding. 40 percent of wedding guests did not attend a wedding they were invited to.
There is no good reason for this.
Los Angeles County, California is in a state of emergency. There are no schools, offices or warnings about imminent danger.
It appears that many Americans learned nothing in 2020-2021 from the lockdowns. Sweden has demonstrated how lockdowns, and closing schools for students younger than 17 years old have had serious effects on both education and the economy.
It’s clear that Americans still place their trust in experts and the government. The government seems to be unable to cry “wolf” loud enough.
The sheeplike behavior of many Americans is something entirely new in our nation’s history. A people that thought of its country as “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” no longer does.
The government knows this.
As we may learn again this fall.
