Southern California Storm Watch

If those of you who live in the rest of the country could just spend an evening watching Los Angeles weather reports when rain is predicted, you'd find a deep, rich vein of amusement.

Because the biggest media story of the day is - "TOP STORY - It's RAINING!"

In Los Angeles, when rain is in the forecast, it's a big deal. Reporters in rain slickers stand on PCH, to alert us if some of the southbound vehicles have their windshield wipers going.

[The Man I Love] is thrilled when stormy weather threatens, because he has what I consider an irrational attachment to the KCAL 9 weatherlady, Jackie, who stands in front of the swirling graphics on the map in her tight sweater, telling us about her "Very active dopplers."

Forecasts of storms inspire in Los Angeles residents a heightened fear of the unknown. We are not used to water that falls from the sky. When the forecast is wet, we stock up on batteries, candles, firewood, canned goods, and bottled water. It's not all silly. Residents of fire-affected areas have reason to worry about mudslides. Tonight some residents of Orange County near last month's fires have actually been evacuated for safety.

The local news stations always hype the coming of a storm, and - being lovers of excitement and drama, my family and I look forward to it. When I came home tonight the wind had whipped up, tossing the tree branches and sending acorns pelting down on my car roof and the driveway.

I thought, Oooh, the rains are coming! Get inside to safety and warmth.

But we've learned that, if it's anything like most storms, it will be a big dud. Some sprinkles and nothing more. We batten down the hatches for the night and then awake, disappointed that the road hasn't washed out spectacularly, preventing us from going to work in the morning.

Sometimes we get lucky. There was the year that the Big Rock came down..... now THAT was a good storm.