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Just as California has always had "dry cycles" so it has always had floods. In fact, the floods have caused almost as much damage as the dry spells. The floods of California are, of course, exceptional. California's floods do not have their counterpart in any other section of the country. In other areas, floods are of long duration, and are characterized by a spread of exceedingly high waters over a great expanse of territory. But California floods are usually of short duration, of high water velocity, and are concentrated in a few areas. Along the coast, elevations rise from sea level to eight and ten thousand feet within 25 to 30 miles. The run-off from these mountainous slopes can be devasting both in volume and velocity..."
"The danger from fires is, of course, in direct ratio to the dryness of the region and the season. Southern California is particularly exposed to the hazards of brush and forest fires.In May and again in late August, when the red-hot desert winds sweep in through the Cajon Pass, the brush and forest fires invariably rage."
"Both floods and forest fires in Southern California have increased in direct relation to the increase in population."
California: the Great Exception by Carey McWilliams
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