Most of us have seen the massive, sudden flood in Nepal-Tibet on the news. It was a terrible natural disaster that we hope no one else ever experiences.
Here in the Santa Clarita Valley, we are about 20 miles south of the San Andreas Fault, but several other nearby faults might also pose a seismic hazard to the Castaic dam.
As I mentioned in previous letters, we need to develop an evacuation plan that people on the roads, or even asleep at home, can follow should the dam rupture. Getting out of the flood path to higher ground is essential, and moving those on the road away from potential water torrents will also be critical.
There is a high likelihood that there will be no electricity and that communication will be limited, so most of what needs to happen to escape floodwaters must happen automatically. But without a plan, it could be chaos. It is time the city of Santa Clarita and/or L.A. County lead this effort to protect the public.
Dr. Gene Dorio
Saugus
