Kristan Zwerling

4pm CDT Oct 8th Key Messages for #Hurricane #Milton which has become a Category 5 hurricane again: Large area of destructive storm surge expected along portion of west-central coast of #Florida Peninsula. If you are in a Storm Surge Warning area, please evacuate if told by local officials. Latest advisory: hurricanes.gov/#Milton

The 4 Hobbits pay their respects to Bernard Hill at Liverpool Comic Con "He was intrepid, he gruff, he was irascible." - Sean Astin Echoing Sean's words, Billy Boyd, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.”

Santa Rosa Fire has 7 of our own remote automated weather stations (RAWS) around the city to monitor conditions from fire weather to winter storms. Within the last hour, RAWS are measuring gusts of 26mph in Fountaingrove and 21mph at our Fire Station 1 (Downtown/Sonoma Ave)

Belgian Malinois are the acrobats of dogs

You learn very quickly that there is no handbook or rules to being First Lady. Technically, it’s not even an official position. And while there are spoken and unspoken expectations that provide some structure, the role is largely shaped by the passions and aspirations of the person holding it. First Lady Rosalynn Carter understood that well. Guided by her abiding faith and her commitment to service, Mrs. Carter used her platform in profoundly meaningful ways. Her groundbreaking work to combat the stigma faced by those struggling with their mental health brought light to so many suffering in silence. She advocated for better care for the elderly. She advanced women’s rights. And she remained a champion for those causes — and many others like building affordable housing for those in need and caring for our nation’s caregivers — in the more than four decades that followed. When our family was in the White House, every so often, Rosalynn would join me for lunch, offering a few words of advice and always — always — a helping hand. She reminded me to make the role of First Lady my own, just like she did. I’ll always remain grateful for her support and her generosity. Today, Barack and I join the world in celebrating the remarkable legacy of a First Lady, philanthropist, and advocate who dedicated her life to lifting up others. Her life is a reminder that no matter who we are, our legacies are best measured not in awards or accolades, but in the lives we touch. We send our thoughts and prayers to Jimmy and the entire Carter family during this difficult time.

A former colleague of mine @juliejohnson who I’ve spent many hours with on the fire line, wrote this piece on wildland firefighters and exposures to toxic smoke. sfchronicle.com/projects/202…

Today, as we were driving around in a parking lot, looking for a place to park, my ten year old said “Dad, why don’t you get one of those blue hanging signs, so you can park in handicap parking spaces? You’re a disabled veteran!” She was right. I do have that status, and the many injuries-and the chronic pain and neurological issues that go with it-that placed me in that disabled veteran status. She was right. However, my answer to her was, “I don’t have one of those for two reasons. 1. I can walk. So, I will walk. There are people who can’t, that those spaces should be saved for.” “ 2. I don’t like to think of myself as ‘disabled.’ Yes, I have some medical issues that will never be going away, and that have modified my life a bit..and will require life long treatment. So what?!” “YOU…have to take a bath, brush your teeth and drink enough liquids every day for the rest of your life. Does that make you disabled? No. It just means you have certain things you have to experience and do each day. It’s just like that for me, as well. That’s all. Do you think we can just choose to stop breathing, or…do we have to do it 24 hours a day, to live? You can see this, can you not? My youngest daughter, for a ten year old….is very smart. She and my oldest daughter are worthy of the “old soul” label. They’re wise beyond their years. After I finished talking, she said, “So what you’re saying, is you are better man than Donald Trump, because he would take those parking spots and not think a thing about it. He sucks. You don’t suck.” After I chuckled out loud, I said, “Yeah. I think I can agree with that. I care about other people. Trump…does not.” At the end of the day, I’m glad my daughter thinks I don’t suck. I’m also thankful she knows I think about other people and what they might need. That feels pretty damn good. We don’t have to be a celebrity, NFL quarterback, an astronaut or a wealthy owner of several hotel chains to make a positive imprint on the hearts and minds of our children. This evening, I thought about the opportunity I would have missed, had I have simply answered her question with, “Oh, those blue handicap signs? Yeah. I don’t want one of those.” She’d never have connected as many useful dots with that answer. Never. We are dot connector facilitators. That’s what we do. The better we are at it, the more of an impact we can make on others with our presence and our communication. I hope this story…has facilitated some dot connecting, for you. May you connect one dot, after the other. G’dnite.💙

Today's High Risk issuance in our Excessive Rainfall Outlook is the first one on record (to at least 2010) east of the mountains and in the low deserts of southern California. Explore the ERO in more detail using our interactive web page here: wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/excess…

Qeshm Dayrestan International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 178°F (81°C) today. This would tie the record for highest heat index ever recorded, while the reported dew point of 97°F (36°C) would be a new world record. These are intolerable conditions for human life.

Here are satellite heat detections of fires on Maui as of 2am Hawaii time (5am Pacific), 8/9/2023. #MauiFires #Lahaina #Fires #Hawaii #HNN

Photography fans have two extra weeks to view images of the American West by the famed San Francisco photographer, plus the work of 23 of his contemporaries. trib.al/hQy0Fzm

About 183 people have asked me to talk about the smoke from Canada coming into New York, New Jersey, and other Eastern States... #wildfire #NY Ok, here goes… *Seinfeld voice: “What’s up with all that wildfire smoke?” If you live in these areas, welcome to what Salmon, Idaho was all last summer. Literally months. Welcome to small town Montana. Welcome to the Utah Valley. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest in August. Welcome to Happy Camp, California. Welcome to Earth… There are a lot of fires burning in Canada. Many are lightning caused but the majority are human caused. Pile burn escapes, escaped campfires, escaped prescribed burns, and yes, arson. There are not a lot of fires burning in the United States. It’s actually one of the slowest starts to fire season in the U.S. in decades. Wildfires happen across the entire planet. It’s a natural cycle that ebbs and flows. Canada is busy this year, others places not so much. This is what wildland firefighters wake up to every day. This is what they work in. They are the ones trying to contain these fires when they happen. Smokejumpers and Hotshots, 6 pack jacked men and women, who sleep in the dirt every night just to wake up and crush up a mountain and work in smoke. The ones that were promised a raise and Congress sits idly by. The ones that were told recruitment, retention, and pay was priority #1. Seemingly not… The ones who are provided subpar food and eat military rations for breakfast. At least you can still get a delicious bagel and lox before you walk through the smoke. *extra capers. So once the smoke clears out, in due time, remember that there are men and women fighting these things. Remember that your representatives have denied them a raise because “other priorities.” Some are trying to help. These representatives are supporting a Bill called Tim’s Act. In long form it’s known as the “Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act”. If you would like to help support these men and women who wake up and work in this type of smoke everyday, contact your Rep. and tell them to support Tim’s Act. The smoke will clear out. It always does. Welcome to Earth.

Tornado hits south maple ave in Montebello tearing the roof off multiple buildings and destroying multiple cars

Golden State Warrior guard Klay Thompson surprised a Santa Rosa teenager on Saturday with a new, custom-made basketball wheelchair that may help him accomplish his athletic dreams. ktvu.com/news/warriors-klay-…

The price of freedom. ( retired racehorses are now sea horses living their best life in Nihi Sumba, a forgotten island in Indonesia )

Crews are working tirelessly around the clock to clear I-80 of snow & ice. Route remains closed between Applegate & the Stateline. Whiteout conditions in some areas. Over 30 inches of snow fell on Donner Pass the past 24 hrs. @CHP_Truckee @CHPGoldRun @nevadadot @CaltransHQ