Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away

OB Rainbow – by Nate

So this is what a winter storm in SoCal is like. Who knew?

Spending my first winter in San Diego after numerous cold, barren, lifeless years in the Midwest, I was kinda getting the impression that winter was like every other season here: Warm, sunny, pretty much perfect in every way.

Except for, you know, that massive drought we’ve been having. We need this rain, real bad.

Newport Ave after the drench. Photo by Matthew Wood

As I watched the weather reports this week that are calling for the biggest storm in Southern California in years, I have been rooting for the worst. Maybe we could even get a name out of this one! Rainmeggeden? The Gusting Ghost? Wind-zilla? OK, we’ll work on those.

Here’s my point: No offense, San Diego, but you could use a little toughening up. All this perfect weather tends to sissify a person – myself included.

And really, you have no idea what the rest of the country is going through. Can you imagine it being below zero? Hell, can you even imagine it below freezing? That’s what the entire Midwest and Northeast have been dealing with for the better part of three months now. This polar vortex is no joke, man.

I’ve seen some of the worst. I went through the 21 inches of snow in Chicago a few years ago that stranded hundreds of cars on Lake Shore Drive overnight. I have seen the temperature drop more than 50 degrees in a day. I’ve seen it snow on Mother’s Day.

But even I can’t fathom going through this year’s winter out there. See, this weather has made me into a wuss already.

OB Storm of the Season. Photo by Matthew Wood

So I say bring it on. Let’s have a massive storm that makes the rest of the country stand up and notice how tough and resilient San Diegans really are.

But let’s please be smart about it. No offense, but nobody knows how to drive, let alone in bad weather. Slow down on the roads and be careful. It’s cool, people will understand if you’re a bit late to where you’re going.

If things really do get real and we start flooding, don’t be a tough guy. Get outta there and make sure you’re safe.

Many surfers in OB are probably seeing the reports of 15-foot waves and salivating at the thought. That’s awesome … if you can handle it. If you can’t, don’t be an idiot. Stay out of that stuff. You know as well as I that the ocean is nothing to mess with – especially when she’s angry and frothing at the mouth.

It’s not worth the rush you might get, especially for the people who have to go in and pull your dumb ass out.

Most of all, be nice to others. When natural disasters hit – and this would register on the absolute bottom end of that spectrum – the places that make it are the ones where people cooperate and take care of each other. As long as we look out for our fellow San Diegans (and OBceans) we’ll be fine.

Now, bring on the rain! Lord knows we could use it.