Great.  Now NY officialy has more rain than I have equipment.  :^)

I was thinking the same thing--some SD providers like Sedona went through a quiet spell here for a few days and I was starting to wonder.

I was in Palm Springs for a Convention that was through the weekend, but my stay was extended. On Sunday, I received so many calls to come home immediately and evacuate, including a call from the neighbor who was caring for my animals while away.
My friend and business partner decided to leave Palm Springs immediately as he had keys to both my place and another partner's. He called and gave us the details: visibility only one mile; the sky as dark as night and so thick it was hard to breathe. The fire was a few blocks away from my partner's place and he grabbed some of her belongings. Then he went to my place and the fire was only 5 miles at that time from my place and moving quickly. He grabbed some things from my place and left my animals in my neighbor's care. The homes that were lost in the Scripps area are the next two exits from mine.
The Palm Springs news wasn't covering the SD fires - only the LA ones so we relied on phone calls to update us. My other partner and I decided to stay put in Palm Springs as the traffic going back in was too heavy and they had shut down the major freeways. I announced the details at the convention and they moved quickly then and cut short the rest of the day for people to try to get home, which took them 8 hours to get home (instead of 2). I'm glad we stayed put. The traffic going home yesterday was so light that we got home in no time, and altho we had been warned as to what to expect to find, I can't tell you how creepy it was to be in the dark at 1pm. We were told to get some respirators for breathing, which we did and I'm glad. The air was thick with smoke and an eerie gray yellow. There's hardly any people anywhere and everyone you see is in the same daze as on 9/11. No one in my immediate group had lost their homes, but several were evacuated, and several have friends or family members who've lost their homes.
When I see how close it came to my house, I feel sick to my stomach and so thankful it passed over.

The 5 Freeway that bisects these areas and run the length of the West Coast is shut down.

-- Modified on 10/29/2003 4:11:39 PM

As an SD hobbyist, I'm doing great. The national weather service advises staying indoors. Gee, that's a good idea!  Of course I'm very very sorry for the hundreds of folks that have lots their homes, but for the most part, they are out east in the rural areas... don't know any providers out there.

Those of us in the north and west areas are having indoor fun!