It's Friday. A respite from the rain is expected to be followed by days of downpours. Plus, is New York turning into Los Angeles? |
 | | Leo Kokhanevich worked on his laptop Thursday with downed trees behind him in Sacramento.Max Whittaker for The New York Times |
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SAN FRANCISCO — On Thursday morning, three men used a handsaw to slice a toppled tree blocking the front of their apartment building. City workers had placed cones around the tree but didn't remove it, so neighborhood residents took matters into their own hands. |
"We just want to clear it so cars can drive, so people can pass through," said one of the men, Francis Broome, who was moving branches off the sidewalk in the Western Addition neighborhood when I walked by. One man used a leaf blower to clear debris. "Some community teamwork!" another said. |
The group was seeking normalcy after the worst of this week's storms passed through the Bay Area, just days after near record-breaking rainfall on New Year's Eve. The atmospheric river that slammed California on Wednesday and Thursday knocked out electricity for tens of thousands of people, forced evacuations and churned up dangerous surf along the coast. |
If the storm had a theme, it was the breathtaking number of uprooted trees, the most visible sign of a state veering between environmental extremes of flood and drought, my colleagues Shawn Hubler and Jill Cowan explain. |
But if you're currently enjoying a return to sunny skies in California, it'll probably be short-lived. Though much of the Golden State is expected to get a break from rainfall on Friday, we're in for a parade of storms after that, including another strong one on Monday and Tuesday. The lashing could continue into mid-January. |
 | | People watched water rush along the Los Angeles River as the storm cleared on Thursday afternoon.Alisha Jucevic for The New York Times |
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"We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination," said Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. "We are basically in the eye of the storm right now." |
For the past few days, you've been writing to me about how you're coping with and feeling about the storms, both the good and the bad. Here's some of what you shared, lightly edited: |
"The verdancy of the normally brown Los Angeles hills makes this a particularly beautiful time in Southern California. My trees are robust and my succulents are burgeoning. Using an umbrella for a few weeks doesn't bother me at all." — Bill Mayer, Los Angeles |
"We've been without electricity in Mendocino County for more than 24 hours now. We have no heat either, so we're huddling indoors with layers of clothes, scarves and knit hats. Our only communication is cellphone service with low bars. Cooking and food prep has become challenging. We are lucky to have a couple of Goal Zero batteries to recharge cellphones and keep our fridge running, and I will check on an 89-year-old neighbor today." — Robin Applegarth, Gualala |
"My husband and I traveled on Wednesday on Route 101 from Salinas through Santa Barbara. The rain and wind just north of Santa Barbara were powerful. The eucalyptus trees along the coast shed branches. It was harrowing, but cars were actually slowing down for a change. Still, I am grateful for the rains." — Amy Brewster, Salinas |
"We have been hit hard with rain, then heavy wet snow over the past couple weeks. Lots of shoveling and snow-blowing. Trees weakened by years of drought have come down, making power an on-and-off issue. But we are making the best of it! We have a generator, which helps tremendously. Just hunker down and deal with it." — Russ Woods, South Lake Tahoe |
 | | Photo Illustration by Adam Powell for The New York Times |
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- Kevin McCarthy: The congressman from the Central Valley contorted himself on Thursday to try to win over right-wing holdouts, as his battle to become speaker of the House limped toward a fourth day.
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- Walgreens: A top Walgreens executive conceded that pharmacy chain brass may have overemphasized the threat of organized retail theft in San Francisco, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- Storm prep: San Francisco city officials blamed incorrect weather forecasts from the National Weather Service for the lack of storm preparation, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- Apple purchase: Apple has bought a Cupertino office campus that the tech company had leased for more than a decade, solidifying its Silicon Valley foothold, The Mercury News reports.
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 | | Ryan Liebe for The New York Times |
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 | | Laure Joliet for The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Susan Zucker, who recommends a trip to the Gamble House, an iconic Craftsman in Pasadena: "The wonderful garden behind the Gamble House garage is a special place to sit, read, enjoy the beauty of the house or just relax." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
And before you go, some good news |
When Isabella Esler graduated from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose in May, she thought she knew exactly what was in store. She would move to New York City to attend Pace University. |
Esler landed a leading role in the touring Broadway hit musical "Beetlejuice." She will spend at least a year starring in the show as it travels to more than two dozen cities in America. |
And, even better, the tour began in her own backyard, at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco, where it ended its run last week. Esler and the rest of the cast are headed to Cleveland next. |
"It is so weird how it worked out that way," Esler, 18, said. "I know that is not really common to just open in the city that is, like, right next to where you grew up. But it's honestly so amazing." |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. Stay dry. — Soumya |
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