The people of the Napa Valley are just stupid. Who would live in a place that floods every few years?
If you’ve watched any cable news you know that Napa is flooding. Again. Just as it did in 1984, 1986, 1996 and 1997. Authorities are worried that people who live in the flood plain AND REFUSED TO MOVE will get flooded again.
This time a levee broke adding to the damage. What moron lives in a place where they need levees to stop flooding? Why don’t these people move?
It’s not like they didn’t know these floods were coming. They are right in the middle of building a flood control project to try to stop mother nature.
Think of where these idiots live. In Napa VALLEY. When it rains in the mountains where does the water go? To the Valley! These people are surrounded by mountains; they live in a bowl, of course they will flood again. That’s why they should move.
We will just have to accept that we’ll have to pay $4 per gallon for grape juice. Or we can leave the grapes in place then bus people in to work the crops.
And why didn’t more of these people evacuate when they saw it raining? They are all living in multimillion dollar homes, its not like they couldn’t afford cars!
And lastly, what about personal responsibility??? Why didn’t these people get out there themselves on nights and weekends and build better levees themselves? They waited for a government handout to build their levees. If they had taken any personal responsibility for the levees they would not have flooded.
Rather than spending another tax payer dollar protecting an area WE KNOW will flood, let’s just abandon Napa Valley and move the people to higher ground.
Update Sigh: When I wrote this, I was (Duh!) joking about the metal ability of people from Napa. After reading the comments, now I think I might have been closer to the mark in my humor than I thought. Please if you are from Napa, read what this is filed under and read the comments.
Ok, Paul was trying to make a point, however 99 percent of Napa county didn’t flood, and the vast majority who felt that N.O. was a disaster waiting to happen felt the same way every time someone wanted to build in the flood plain in Napa. A few areas of downtown Napa were under a few feet of water, N.O. was under up to 20 feet from the reports I’ve heard, there are also a good number of homes that have been raised above flood levels in the last few years locally, so the residents simply leave and come back when the water goes away.
I believe you have seen one too many news reports, the vast majority of affected napans just blow it off, clean up, and move on with life without crying to anyone, but that dosn’t make good news so the media seeks out the cry babies that can be found in any city and displays them for the world to see.
“Natural disasters can happen anywhere.”
Yup, but they probably won’t. Have we Americans become irretrievably innumerate and non-rational? There is this here new fangled mathy type thingy called ‘sta-tis-tics’.
Look around you. Think hard. You stay, you pay.
understand this is satire, but considering that all of this happening to these people as we speak it might be a little early for satire.
As has already been pointed out, Napa is not a bowl as the lower end of the valley empties into the north end of SF Bay. It’s also worth pointing out that there is a flood control project that has been under construction in Napa, scheduled to be completed next year, by the Corps and funded in part by a local sales tax. This project will restore natural waterways, flood planes, and marsh areas, as well as traditional flood control measures like levees and dredging. They are also moving homes, commercial buildings, and warehouses from areas prone to flooding.
Also pointed out in an earlier comment, it would be fair game to call those folks on the Russian River crazy, that’s pretty much a sure thing to flood every winter. I think if I lived up there every possesion I had would be considered disposable.
I have no problem with people living in a flood zone. I might do so myself, if I could be convinced it was safe.
Just make sure the cost of catastrophe is born through the private sector, and private insurance.
That is the key.
Maybe Paul had tongue in cheek when he wrote his little artical, he should have some of the facts right.
We do not have mountians in Napa! We have hills.
The levee that broke was not in Napa, but in Fairfield which is about 15 miles East of Napa, and on the other side of the some hills.
I live on a hill so I must not be one of the Napa Idiots you spoke of.
I will say one thing, your satire got a good response, and I am sure that’s what you wanted.
By the way we do not make Grape juice in Napa, we make only WINE, some of the best in the world…..But then again I don’t think you would know the difference between wine and grape juice.
One of the smarter ones..
Lou
What a load this is. You people keep hiding behind the word “satire”, which is defined as “Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.”
Your pretense that “this is only satire”, “substitute New Orleans for Napa” is B.S. Sarcasm really comes from true feelings.
We all live where we live. I live in Napa, and mostly always have. I’ve also spent time in Rhode Island, France, and Arizona. Bad things happen in all these places. I’m sorry Katrina did what it did to your area. I sent some money there to help out; though I figured people who live in a city that, by rights should be under water, would have their own insurance and expect this disaster to eventually happen. I sent what I could afford to you anyway…and didn’t give you any crap about living where you do.
Have a heart. Get over yourselves. Forget about satire. If you want the truth, speak the truth, and stop hiding behind satire and sarcasm.
Sorry Jim,
I guess America is suffering from Napa Valley Flooding fatique.
Lou,
First of all, if you lived in NO, you probably would think that the hills north of Frisco were actually mountains… probably a lot of people from the mid west would think likewise, does that make them less factual? Maybe they look at things differently than you do…
Frankly, from the response on here, I think there is more WHINE than wine in Napa. Try Washington wines… some great small wineries along the Columbia these days. Without all the pretension.
Of course, the huge difference Paul won’t address is that New Orleans is on a disappearing river delta that gives up the acreage of two football fields every 45 minutes, or 25 square miles a year.
What is causing the massive die-off of the delta marshlands? The levee system of Louisiana , which jets the silt that replentishes the delta directly into the Gulf.
So the choice is simple: waste billions of dollars to save a city that is slitting it’s own throat by building levees that destroy the very marshland that protects it, or move the city to a more intelligent site.
In any event, the present New Orleans will be under the Gulf of Mexico within 50 years, no matter what we do.
Napa will still be high and relatively dry.
I challenge anyone to find a reputable scientist that will say otherwise.
Waiting for a handout??? Thats funny isn’t it our hard earned TAX PAYERS dollors that is paying for the flood project??? I guess tax payers shouldn’t FINALLY receive something from our hard earned money that would better the town…and since you are so bright and have all the answers, “Abandoning Napa and moving people to higher ground”…Well smarty are you gonna put the money where your mouth is in order to move these people and pay for them to live in a better area because, lets face it many of the homes near the flood areas are lower income housing…
As far as “what moron lives in an area that floods”? Yes there is that known possibility…So I guess since we are such morons to live in this possible flood area I guess people that live in areas that are known for possible hurricanes, tornadoes and all other acts of mother nature are also morons and we need to evacuate all those other areas and all be as smart as you and live in one safe place where theres no chance of any disasters…..
As far as getting out and building better levees on our time??? Come on GET SERIOUS!!!!
Nothing like kicking people when there already down!!!! I guess its safe to assume that you have a GREAT adittude about the people who are moving back to New Orleans!!! I guess we should just shut down New Orleans and abandon that too!!!!
Hey keep up the good work, you really have a great way of trying to kick people when there already down…But Thank Goodness for the most part the people of Napa don’t have the unsupportive and nasty adittude like you…
Maybe you could give mother nature a call and tell her how to do her job too Im sure she would love to hear from ya!!!!!!!!!!!
>I’ve read most of Wizbang for a while now and I haven’t seen a lot (actually, haven’t seen any) comments that ridiculed or satirized the suffering from and in the New Orleans area.
You’ve made them you drug abusing dimwit. I’ve asked you many times. Please don’t comment on my posts until you’re thru rehab..
Lou
You are wrong I am right. You live there I don’t. It doesn’t matter. I’m right and you’re an idiot. (follow me Lou)
I live in New Orleans and for months I’ve had to hear from “experts” how much more they knew about the area than me. So now it is your turn.
You’re an idiot and I am all knowing.
In case you don’t get the humor… read this.
Oh and welcome to my world. 😉
>Sorry Jim,
>I guess America is suffering from Napa Valley Flooding fatique.
ROFLMAO
==============
>In any event, the present New Orleans will be under the Gulf of Mexico within 50 years, no matter what we do.
>I challenge anyone to find a reputable scientist that will say otherwise.
You are a complete and total dumbass.
Signed
Reputable D. Scientist
=============
Congrats Gloria… Not only did you not figure out it was satire but you didn’t bother read the comments that explained it.
Clueless Dimwit.
Whoever wrote this has NO idea what they are talking about….okay? so it floods ever few years here, that doesnt mean we are moron’s and we should all move if we have common sense!! if u are saying that about us then why dont you go ahead and say everyone living in Flordia should move because there are hurricanes and people who live in Kansas should move cause there are Tornadoes!! So how about u shut it…your the moron!
>your the moron!
Another intelligent Napaian. (or is it a Napoleon?)
Hello im from napa. and i really found it offending when u called napains all those horrible names. And this was called a flash flod we didn’t know it was coming. And leaving wouldn’t do anything to help our homes or businesses. Where im at its completely dry. Also were not the only people who flooded so don’t just be writting about us okay. were not even the worst city that flooded. so it makes no sence just to write about us in the letter okay. oh and also were not MULTI MILLIONARES all the people in the mountines are the real MULTI MILLIONARES. I think I’ve proved my point as being a lawer.
Hello im from napa. and i really found it offending when u called napains all those horrible names. And this was called a flash flod we didn’t know it was coming. And leaving wouldn’t do anything to help our homes or businesses. Where im at its completely dry. Also were not the only people who flooded so don’t just be writting about us okay. were not even the worst city that flooded. so it makes no sence just to write about us in the letter okay. oh and also were not MULTI MILLIONARES all the people in the mountines are the real MULTI MILLIONARES. I think I’ve proved my point as being a lawer.
Sigh,
It is always unfortunate when the most ignorant of any community is the most vocal. On behalf of intelligent Napans I apologize. This site came up when I googled “Napa flood” when I initially read it out of context I was very confused. When I looked at the context I realized that it of course has absolutely nothing to do with Napa. To say that people shouldn’t live in Napa is absurd and that was exactly the authors point. This piece is a reaction to Katrina, to the media blaming the victims.
I was just an innocent bystander as I read this story, and thru all the comments above.
My judgment is that the ‘satire’ is too early, and way too strong. Both sides have their points, and both areas have their share of faults in devising their own protection. As I look at the ‘equivalency’ point of this my mind but wanders back to something I saw on C-Span this week. In front of a Congressional Committee (absent the slimy dems), with grandstanding inclusion of one Cynthia Kinney (of Bush knew about 9/11 fame) was questioning black leaders. They continued to speak in terms of conspiracy theories projecting that the government blew up the levees in New Orleans. From that moment on the wallet is closed for all the ungrateful bastards in New Orleans and your ‘satirical’ write up rings completely hollow as a member of that corrupt community. Envy is not satire…being pissed off at your lot in life is a liberal’s dream.
Sam, OH THANK GOD, I was beginning to think that everyone who lived in Napa couldn’t read, or more precisely couldn’t *understand* what they’re reading. At least there’s *one* person residing there who has reading comprehension. lol
What is it about folks from Napa (Napans/Napkins/Napians/Napoleons) that makes them forget the use of the shift button?
I know the schools in the Bay Area have been struggling, but Cheeze and Rice Almighty, folks – a little bit of proper grammar and punctuation would enhance your posts greatly.
One other thing would help the folks from Napa as well in this regard – removal of the poles from their arses. Every city in America is subject to some form of “disaster.” The true, ugly fact of Life In America is that it normally does not become a “disaster” until it happens in your town or to those you love.
What has occurred in Napa and Fairfield and (to a small extent) in Metro Sacramento is small potatoes compared to NOLA and the Gulf Coast, yet the press is running about yipping about the “Impact!” this will have on peoples’ lives, with the requisite woe-is-me interviews on the tube. Well, folks, the best “Impact!” this could have in your lives is to get y’all to sit up, scratch your nuts, and suck it up for a change. I saw Gulfport – what Napa is going through is a minor bump in the road.
All Paul did was take the same buzzwords being bandied about by the press for the NorCal flooding, substitute some natural terrain features to suit the Napa Valley, and the Napkins took it in, hook line and sinker – like the true NorCal Liberal Nimrods that they are.
Sam! Quick, move here to Oregon. We have our own brand of Moonbats here, much more interesting than those of Napa or Monterey. You only have to worry about tsunami, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, mud slides, moss growing on everything, and the occasional floods. And other than Oregonmuse, I don’t think anyone else here reads Wizbang…
Besides, all its gonna take is one big shake, and everything along I-80 from Vallejo to Sacramento is gonna liquefy and disappear, Napa will be either an Island or on a Very Long Penninsula, and when all their internet connectivity goes, they’ll be wandering the streets in confusion…
As far as i was concerned it was just natural flooding and nothting assocaited with a Levee.
Yes this will happen with a valley but its like saying.
1 – Dont live in Haiwai because of vulcanic activity
2 – Dont live midwest because of tornoradoes
The post doesnt make much sesnse the people effected were not the rich and not much notice was given before the river burst its banks.
As this website has a high google ranking i put this to the people of napa.
1 – Why did the new flood defence ONLY protect new business / housing areas.
The new shopping area was saved and even Copia however the other local busineeses there were destroyed.
The river horseshoes around near there so really that should be removed but it hasnt..
Just food for thought.
I’m northern Imola however i was spending my day helping to clean a community centre that had been damaged.
Tyler
What is this Metal Ability which you speak of?
Ha! I’m from CA and I noticed that this was a NO-inspired satire.
All that aside, I TRY not to live where it floods, or right directly over a huge earthquake fault. It’s not actually that difficult to bear this stuff in mind. I make no claim to infallibility, but at least I’ve tried, however pathetically. I am so paranoid I can’t IMAGINE living right in the shadow of a levee which just happens to be the only thing keeping gazillions of tons of water from squashing me flat.
The sort of mindset that allows contentment under such circumstances is incomprehensible to me. I would be a gibbering nervous wreck. I would go anywhere, no matter how poor I was, to get away from that obviously terrifying threat. Am I so weird???
Different strokes, I guess…though I don’t mean the backstroke.
The one thing I find amusing about all these recent Napa floods is simply that this is the ONE time anyone will be able (let alone inclined) to say “Vallejo is a better place to live than Napa” and no one will really be able to argue with that statement. Valley-ho’s a grubby town, but at least most of it is a little drier these days than some of our more upscale neighbors.
Oh yeah…some guy in the comments above made two statements that definitely gave me pause. Referring to Napa and its inhabitants, “Jim” said first:
“They can’t afford to move anywhere else.”
Then he added:
“FYI: a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house around here costs easily $650,000.”
He then went on to explain how it can cost over $2000 a month just to rent in Napa.
Uh…
If I owned a house which’d sell for $650,000 or more, I could EASILY afford to live most anywhere else in these here United States. I would just SELL the soggy abode in Napa. Derrr.
And if I were paying $2000 a month or more to rent in Napa, well, surely I could afford to rent almost anywhere else, because almost ANYWHERE else would be…duh…CHEAPER!!!
Does this guy listen to himself, I wonder???
Just FYI: anyone wishing to indulge in some truly colossal self-pitying NoCal uber-therapized navel-gazing, be sure to browse some of the many, many accounts STILL being written to this day of the ’91 Oakland Hills fire.
I feel profoundly sorry for anyone who undergoes such a horrific, traumatic experience. NEEDLESS to say.
But there is such a thing as…perspective.
Seems to me that, fire or no fire, floods, earthquakes, blah blah et cetera, we are STILL some of the most privileged and freaking lucky people on the face of the earth.
I’m sure many folks in, say, Pakistan…or Indonesia…would trade places with an Oakland Hills fire survivor in a hot (no joke intended) minute.
Just food for thought.
Happy New Year!!! and good luck to you ALL in this lovely and dangerous world.
Seriously, is Paul going to jump on every natural diaster to give N.O. the “well, since they do it, we should, too” excuse?
Dumb people live in dangerous places all over the country. I’ll tell them, too!
There…your hackneyed straw man of a bomb is now officially diffused.
Maybe Paul should get his own cool and witty disaster blog. If people want to look over his tired (and basically identical) posts, they can have at it….one trick pony style…
Something tells me…..no……
I see Paul still has plenty of time to spread blame, but not enough time to find a scientist who will say that rebuilding New Orleans is anything other than a mistake…
Easy to pick on others.
Too much of a coward to realize his own mistakes and learn from it…
Sam THANK YOU…
For a second I thought the whole town was suffering from some sort of chronic mental retardation. You ABSOLUTELY nailed it SQUARELY on the head. The post isn’t even about Napa.
You must be new there huh? 😉
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DickD- Your name is appropriate. First you have the Congress woman’s name wrong. Second they were not NOLA pols on the stand but people off the street.
You are completely uninformed yet you want me to place value in your opinion.
——–
JD I’m laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. thanks
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Mixed Fruit, you’re a clueless moron.
Thanks for making my point J
My post was of course not about Napa it was about assholes who will say things about New Orleans they would never say about a rich part of California.
All that was missing was an asshole to make my point for me.
Thanks for being that asshole.
Mixed Fruit,
We have scientists with solutions! You are not hearing that in the news, are you. The dutch have been very helpful in this respect. We need surge gates at the entrance of the lake and at the entrance of the canals. There is also a swing gate design gate for the entrance of the river. What happened to American can do spirit? If you wimp out, you will protect your wallet but at what cost to world opinion. No matter how small New Orleans is, it is a world city. We have received help from all over the world, esp. the dreaded Europeans. The message will be that America is a paper tiger, it can’t even protect its own cities. The people that hate America will be gloating and with reason.
Kathie,
I had to laugh to myself when I read your post. I had that same feeling when I visited Seattle. Looking up at that huge volcano hanging over the city gave me the willies. LOL! My sister lives just north of Napa Valley in Lake County. MESSAGE TO NAPA CITIZENS!!!!! This thread has NOTHING to do with Napa flooding. My heart truly goes out to you. The citizens of Louisiana understand better than anyone the hurt of reading the words of Paul’s post and believing they are genuine. I understand your reaction. When I first got power and internet back three weeks after Katrina struck, the first thing I did was google “Katrina”. I was starved for news and pictures. The first post I hit was a journal with a person saying he was so tired of hearing news about Katrina on NPR. I lost it and popped off in the comments section. I replied that he was tired of hearing it and I was tired of LIVING it. It turned out that he was a sweet college kid at Texas A&M. I felt terrible. Take this post by Paul in the spirit in which it was meant. It is all about the reaction of many Americans deserting their fellow Americans in their time of greatest need.
doctorj.. one thing is about us Washingtonians, is you do gotta have balls to live here…. volcanoes, floods, forest fires, earthquakes.. and unlike epador down in birkinstock land (Oregon), we have to pump our own gas! 😉
Be very afraid of our mountains…. heh.
It must be frustrating for you to have all this negative feedback from the people of Napa. Sometimes people speak before they know all the facts.
However, I would like to shed some perspective on a Napan P.O.V….
On New Year’s Eve I Googled “Napa Flood” under the NEWS search. This was the second site that came up. At first, I was highly offended. I didn’t immediatly pick up on the satire aspet of your post. Not because I’m stupid or ignorant, but because I was not paying attention to details such as what you post was filed under. I really was just looking for information on our status.
As unrefined as we may come off right now, please do not be to quick to judge. We may be quick to react to your post, but we were also quick to react with our support to other disaster areas.
I hope this year brings better fortune to everyone who’s suffered thru a disaster this year.
I mentioned that (google news) over 12 hours ago.
I know I caught some people off guard… but geeze… at least they could read the whole thing thru.
thanks for taking the time.
hello im from napa and this article has nothing to do with napa. it flooded in other citys. and i think this article shuld be renames $@#%& in katrina hurricance again.
Do you people in Napa speak freaking english?
Kayla, you should find your 3rd grade teacher and slap the shit out of her.
OK folks the train wreck is over.