Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI
AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand
on the iHeartRadio app. We have buffed out all sorts
of things here at KFI to keep you informed on
changing events, obviously this afternoon, this evening particular concern. As
wins pick up. In a second, I'll get to Michael Monks.
(00:21):
I just wanted to mention to you that, yeah, that
Mayor bass is exactly is gonna get your Mayor bass
is approaching the mics and she's having a press conference
listening lit.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Before I introduce our speakers, I do want to thank
UCLA and Chancellor Frank for opening up this facility to us.
Please raise your hand and so we can acknowledge you.
Thank you very much. This was very kind of UCLA
to do this. I think this is a wonderful facility
where people could come. There's adequate parking, and this facility
(00:53):
is obviously.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
For the people from everywhere, but.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Especially the Palisades and her Spire. So our first speaker
Bob Fenson, who is the FEMA administrator, and we are
just so happy about his leadership. He has been through
this for many, many years and has an incredible reputation
and legacy.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Wow, thank you so well. Thank you glad to be
here with the mayor.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
And when we talk about recovery, it's really about a
whole community effort. And what you're seeing behind us is
that community coming together. It's all levels of government, it's nonprofits,
it's private sector, all coming together to help individuals impacted
from these disasters. FEMA offers a wide array of assistants
(01:43):
and brings together the federal community to support state and
local governments and disasters. For those that want to apply,
go to Disaster Assistants dot gov. He's a winning one
hundred sixty two to one three three sixty two number.
You should apply before coming in here. Once you come
in here, there's a number of different programs at state
and local level, including federal level, that can help you
(02:06):
with your assistance, whether it's answering questions or looking for
gaps and assistance. One of the things that we've already
done is had over forty thousand applications.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
We provide over eight million dollars.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
But there's a lot of work yet to do and
there's a lot of questions out there. So if you
have questions, please come in here and do that. It's
helpful if you register and apply first. FEMA has a
two critical grant grants that will help individuals. The first
is called Other Needs Assistants and the Other Needs Assistance
provides for.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Provides individuals with.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Personal property losses, medical and dental transportation, funeral costs, and
other miscellaneous costs. That grant has a cap of forty
three six hundred.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
The other one is.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Called Housing Assistants and it helps the individuals with prepare
placement and lodging expenses and also has a cap a
forty three thousand and six hentred and indition to those grants,
we provide rental assistance and temporary housing assistance that doesn't
cost kind against those grant caps. If you're insured, please
go to your insurance company first so we can't duplicate
(03:16):
other funny sources. So please go to your insurance company first.
If you have done that, bring that in here and
we could go ahead and help you with any unmet.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Needs or any under insurance you may have. Through that.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Again, there's many other different federal, state, and local agencies
here that can help you in your road to recovery,
and our teams collectively stand by to help you down
that path. Appreciate the Mayor bringing us all together today
to start the road to recovery here at this disaster
recovery center.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Starting the road to recovery. Anita Steinson Stinson, who is
the SBA Disaster Recovery Administrator, thank.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
You, Thank you so much, Madam Mayor, and I appreciate
the introduction. I am a mere public affairs specialist. Thank
you for the promotion. Ladies and gentlemen. As mister Fenton
(04:23):
just said, I'm one of the federal resource partners, and
most people are not aware because of our name, the
Small Business Administration, that during disasters we give resources to
homeowners and renters as well as small businesses and nonprofits.
(04:43):
So we so appreciate the media being present and sharing
that message wide and far and frequently. Please and what
am I meaning by resources? The Small Business Administration has
low interest loans for homeowners, renters, small businesses, and nonprofits,
(05:07):
and we are resource partners with FEMA, and we urge
you to apply with FEMA first, really simultaneously with FEMA
and SBA Disaster and the way people can do that
is go to SBA dot gov forward slash disaster, and
(05:29):
as mister Fenton stated, it's best to do that before
you come here. And if you look to my right,
you will see literally a sea of blue of our
customer service representatives that are here to assist survivors with
their applications. They can do it here, but if they
(05:50):
apply online first, they will see maybe what assistance they
need in person. So what we offer is homeowners can
receive up to five hundred thousand dollars plus an additional
one hundred thousand dollars for personal property, and renters have
(06:11):
access to that personal property. I mean that can be
a car, I mean that can be anything that is needed.
Businesses and nonprofits can access up to two million dollars.
And the most important thing for people to know is
that there's no cost to apply, there's no obligation to
(06:33):
take the loan, and there are no payments and no
interest accruise for the first year. These are very trauma
informed and designed loans. So what that means is even
if you know, similar to FEMA, we cannot duplicate benefits,
so you can figure out what you are eligible for
(06:55):
in terms of grants, you can sort out your insurance.
You don't have to for your insurance, which I mean,
let's face it, in a disaster like this, it can
take a long time when your insurance is sorted out
that recovery gets applied to your loan. Further SBA will
(07:17):
allow you to apply for twenty percent additional of the
amount of your physical damages to mitigate future losses, which
is very, very important, especially in a disaster like this
where it's probably going to require fire, retard and rebuilding
(07:37):
things of that nature. So again, for businesses it's a
four percent interest rate as low as four percent, and
for nonprofits it's three point six two five. So I
urge everybody to visit our table or go online.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Thank you so much, Thank you, appreciate you both for
being here. Let me acknowledge Jim Featherstone, who is the
director of the Emergency Operations Center, and he'll be here
to answer any questions. Let me start off by saying,
for those of you, we had a press conference at
(08:13):
eight this morning and we talked about the fact that
we're still not out of this emergency. We know in
the next twenty four forty eight hours it is possible
that there are fires that expand that we have additional
problems within the city, and Jim can go into that
in a little further detail in a minute. And so
(08:35):
my message to Angelino's is that everybody needs to stay safe.
Please please please listen to instructions. If you are told
that you are in a warning zone, it would be
advised that you actually take that opportunity to lead, get packed,
get everything ready. If you wait until evacuation, then you
(08:59):
might caught up in traffic, or you might have some
other issues. And you know that a number of people
who stayed behind for one reason or another have been
severely burned. Some of them didn't survive. I believe that
our Sheriff Luna gave some very graphic examples of people
who didn't evacuate in time. Everybody wants to help the
(09:23):
first responders. Everybody talks about the first responder. If you
want to help the first responders, then please follow directions.
But while we're going through what I hope is the
final hours of this emergency, it's also time to begin
to talk about our recovery. And so the first step
(09:44):
of our recovery is opening this disaster Assistance center for
people to begin coming in now. As a matter of fact,
this center will open up shortly. You know that everything
is just being set up now, but we want people
to come here. This is a one stop shop. There
are multiple local, state, county, and federal agencies. They're here
(10:05):
and hopefully people will be able to get the services
that they need. The other thing is is that there
is the disaster recovery, but then there's also the rebuilding.
And so yesterday I issued an updated emergency declaration and
I also issued an executive directive that will help facilitate
and fast track the building. I was here in ninety two,
(10:29):
I was here in ninety four, and I know one
of the ways that we were able to get out
of that crisis was to do everything we could to
help people who had experience damage or had their businesses
or homes destroyed, get up and together and back on
their feet by beginning the rebuilding process. I appreciated you,
(10:51):
mister Fenton, when you talk today this morning about how
there's all sorts of misinformation in terms of what FEMA
has to offer, what SBA has to offer, and that
is the point of this center is to be able
to clarify some of that to make it easier for
people to recover.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
So if that.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Why don't I take some questions to that point.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
About this information. What exactly are people entitled to from
FEMA and what are they not entitled?
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Yeah, so the application process starts with individuals able to
evacuated our homes were damage be able to get Serious
Needs Assistance, which is a one time grant of up
to seven hundred and seventy dollars that covers basic needs
while you're evacuating, things like gas, water, food, maybe if
(11:46):
you're a family, consumables those kind of things.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
As you go through the application process.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Then if you're insured, you should go to your insurance company,
which could help you with most insurance policies will not
help you with home but alternate live and expense. If
you're uninsured, you should come to keep on going into FEMA.
FAMA could give you the two grants that I talked about.
One is called Other Needs Assistance, which is a grand
(12:12):
up to forty three thousand, six hundred dollars. It helps
with personal property costs, medical and dental transportation, funeral costs,
and miscellaneous costs.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
The second grant is called.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Housing Assistance, and for the homeowners it would help with repair, replacement,
and logic expensive reimbursement up to forty three thy six
hundred in addition to those two grants, if you continue
to be displaced longer and your house is destroyed, or
whether it's a homeowner or a renter, you can get
rental insurance rental assistance from US where we will provide
(12:47):
rental assistance for you based on the family composition insiures
of your house for up to eighteen months. And if
we get to a situation where rentals are not available,
we all also have other forms and other program and
for we either bring in housing, are we leased with
apartments and create housing.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
That way, you're hearing the voice of a federal official
from FEMA who is speaking about some of the benefits
that are there and will be provided to those who've
lost homes or even temporary residences might be required in
some instances, and so all of this will be discussed
I think through the hours and through the days that
(13:25):
follow and so FEMA assistance. The mayor's assistant, she was
talking about the fact that they'll fast track the rebuild
in Los Angeles, and that's something that's being spoken of
in LA and surrounding regions, meaning that most it would
seem most areas dramatically affected with the devastation of these
(13:48):
fires will see a waving of a lot of the
normal building restrictions that would allow for permitting and for
fast tracking a rebuild. Now a host of other issues
related to that that I'd love the table. We'll talk
about them tomorrow, and we'll talk about them in the
days to come. You know what kind of fire resistant
(14:09):
materials might be included in a rebuild or might be required.
But again, it looks as though the general disposition of
government is, Hey, don't worry about that stuff. We want
to get things back on track. And that was a
little of what you were hearing from the mayor and
from the FEMA official in Washington. There is a major
confirmation hearing going on and ABC News investigative reporter Olivia
(14:32):
Rubin is joining us now and we want to get
a bit of an update on what is a controversial
nomination in Pete Hegseth and where that stands through a
morning of hearings. And Hi there, Olivia, Hi.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
Thanks for having me. Yeah, I think Pete Hegseth is
definitely up there as one of the most controversial nominees,
potentially facing one of the biggest uphill battles. He had
a bit of a grilling this morning from Democrat from
the Senate Armed Service Committee for his nomination. A pretty
warm welcome from Republicans on the committee, of course, but
(15:08):
he sat for about four hours with opening statements, questioning
from every member on that panel. Really a marathon hearing.
It's done now, and you see, we're seeing some Republicans
who are quite happy with the way that it went.
One of the top senators, one of the top Republican senators,
John Sun, saying he did a great job according to
(15:30):
reports that he's seeing, but really tough questions for headset
from senators about his comments on women in the military. Remember,
he suggested that women shouldn't serve in combat roles, though
he now says that they should and it was just
a matter of standards. Questions about sexual assault allegations, which
he denies. He said it was a consensual situation and
(15:52):
that he was not charged. Questions about drinking alcohol abuse
while on the job, again something he denies. He calls
that onymous smears. So he has committed to senators that
he would not drink is taking a job. So again,
this is one of the nominees that has had, you know,
some of the biggest issues allegations about him, all of
which he has denied.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Coming to head with that today, well, it's interesting because
none of what you just said addresses one of the
most in none of what you just said they said
address is one of the most controversial aspects of Hexith,
which is he's going to be running the Department of Defense.
It's close to three million people who will be under
his employee if you want to think of it, or
certainly his control worldwide. And this guy Hexith is Look,
(16:36):
he's this gorgeous guy who does the weekend I guess
hosting on Fox News Channel. He's well spoken, he's clearly
a Trump loyalist, and he appears to you know, he's
kind of the poster boy I suppose for some kind
of military service if you're only looking at the poster.
But his actual experience running anything is pretty thin. As
anyone addressed his sort of qualifications in that area.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Absolutely. That was again a major theme of the hearing today,
Senator Timmy Duckworth, again a Democrat, flatly telling them that
he is not qualified. It was also Richard Blumenthal who
brought up the financial reports of the two small veterans
organizations that he ran some of those years. According to
(17:21):
the finances, Hexath ended up spending more than he raised,
so again putting the organization into a deficit. And again,
those are organizations that are significantly, significantly, significantly smaller than
what I said has ever been excusing them. In the
Department of Defense, if you, of course, mentioned has an
(17:42):
over eight hundred billion dollar budget, three members and the
three million members in the military. I think what's also
notable is that in Hexas's opening statement, he addressed this
fact himself, the fact that he lacks that sort of
experience that one might expect, but he framed it as
a He said that it was quote time for a
(18:02):
change agent. That's how he's framing it, and that is
a positive thing. He said, it's time for someone with
no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or
approved narrative, that he's someone who's going to shake it up.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
It's time for someone who has never scrubbed down before
to do this heart transplant. I am I'm really questioning
this particular picke. It's just such an interesting one and
I'm sorry if I express a little bit of a
huge question mark I see over him. But really that's
where it is. I understand that a lot's being made
of the drinking and sexual dalliances, et cetera. But wow,
(18:39):
you know, this is a really complicated time in America,
and I'm sure that this has been visited as well.
You need sort of a real sensitive hand when it
comes to being the boss of the Defense Department.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
And you know, again going back to Senator Tammy Duckworth,
because she really was quite fiery, she said, very plainly,
you are not qualified, mister haig Seth, you are not qualified.
And you know, again it was something that wrung repeatedly
during that hearing, and she ultimately said to him that
(19:15):
the men and women who wear the uniform cannot be
led by someone who is not competent.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
To do the job.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
So really, I see your point in some of the
senators clearly saw it as well bringing that up.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, and you know, what happens happens. But it really
comes down to vote. So Olivia, let me just ask you,
Olivia Ribbon from ABC, where does that stand? I mean,
there are the Republican votes to get him passed, to
get him, meaning to pass the confirmation hearings and confirmed
or what is your sense of things.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
Well, it's a good question, and I don't, you know,
pretend to be able to predict predict the future, but
I think it's going to be a real question after
this hearing to see where some of the more moderate
Republican votes fall. I think, you know, it seems pretty
likely that he's not going to get any Democrats, so
then you have to then go to the Republican side,
and he really only has a few votes to lose.
(20:08):
Someone that a lot of people are watching is, of course,
Senator Joni Arns. She was one of the senators who
questioned him today during that hearing. Of course, she is
a veteran herself. She's the survivor of sexual assaults. Those
are two things that are important to remember. She seemed,
you know, to be more supportive of him than she
had in the past. You know, she didn't declare her
support or anything, but he had agreed to a couple
(20:30):
of her conditions, including appointing someone in the department to
investigate and oversee sexual assault allegations. So that seems to
be significant. And you know, so far since the hearing,
Republicans do seem please take Senator John Soon, He's a
top Republican. He said that. You know, all the reports
he heard was that he was doing great. But again
(20:52):
it goes back to some of the more middle Republicans.
Like I said, Joni ERNs, think about Senator Susan Collins.
What is she going to say for this hearing? Was
there anything that came out that concerned her? So it's
going to be something to watch in the next few days.
Again with that margin just so so slim.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, Olivia Rubin from ABC, thank you so much. Nice
window on what happened today with the Hegsith confirmation hearing.
You know, we'll speak again. Look, this is a to
be continued. And you know, Thune is obviously someone who's
carried the water for Hexith already, so the fact that
he comes down to it, I thought it went great.
He's always going to say that. But it would be
(21:31):
an extraordinary thing if somebody with no real organizational experience
aside from the veteran's charity that he essentially bankrupted. They
got rid of him from the charity and from his
position of director based on how poorly he ran it.
It would be extraordinary if he were to lead the
(21:51):
men and women of the military worldwide and the Pentagon
and be in control of the biggest budget in Washington. Extraordinary,
but it might happen. Royle Oaks joins US and Royal. Wow,
there's a lot going on. I want to start with
Southern California, if you would please, because I saw that
there are already four lawsuits that have emerged out of
the Eton fire. That's the one that involves Southern California.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
D Yeah, exactly right, Mark a bunch of lawsuits, several,
as you say, filed in connection with the Eaton fire.
So basically those suits say that Southern California Edison had
a duty to maintain its equipment and not cause of fire.
They say that faulty equipment is owned by the utility
sparked the Eaton fire. And it's interesting because the law
(22:39):
is really against the utilities. The law says, believe it
or not, if the utility gets sued, even if they
can demonstrate, first of all, they were not negligent. They
did everything right in terms of maintaining good equipment. And
number two, that they followed regulations, whatever the government told
them to do, they did. Even if those two things
are true, you still can recover a million against the utility.
(23:01):
The idea is they set a semi public and you know,
they can always get the money back by hiking the
rates for all rate payers later on to kind of
spread the pain around. So, yeah, those are on the
books as well as policeds as well.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Yeah, we've seen evidence of doing of them doing just
that throughout California North you know, PG and E spread
it around. I mean, you know, the rate hikes are legend,
but it's interesting to me what you're pointing out is
an extraordinary thing. So you go to court, you prove
that you're not negligent as a utility, that everything was
at code, which is established by government code and standard,
(23:39):
and you're saying at the end of all of that,
there can still be a judgment against you.
Speaker 7 (23:44):
Absolutely. It's kind of like this doctrine of ultra hazardous activities.
If you're maintaining something that's you know, what they call
an attractive nuisance where kids would be attracted to come
in and endanger themselves, or if it's just a giant
machine that's super dangerous even if you did everything right.
The law says, we really care about paying people who
(24:04):
need help, who have accidents who suffered personal injuries. Now
they do have some answers. The utilities sometimes say in court,
he hate your honner. Nice theory. Guess what we can
prove that whenever we go back to the Public Utilities
Commission and ask for rate hikes because of Paradise fire
or whatever, they say no, or they give us inadequate
rate hikes. And they also say it's just unfair. For example,
(24:25):
I mean, PG and E filed for bankruptcy after wildfire liabilities.
But you know that's just kind of moaning and growing
by the big rich utilities. The bottom line is that
the law favors getting money to people, even if the
people can't specifically prove that the utility was negligent or
didn't follow regulation.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
That is truly extraordinary. And I didn't know that Royal Oaks,
And you know when you say that, it seems to
me that this will hatch. I don't know how many lawsuits,
I mean even class action.
Speaker 7 (24:54):
Oh, absolutely, you can count on that. Now. You mentioned
eaton also powers, so there's a lawsuit. But here it's
a little different. And I know you've reported on this.
There's this reservoir. The founding has a reservoir one hundred
and seventeen million gallons of water. It was empty. It's
been empty for a year because the utility Department of
(25:15):
Water Power, they've been trying to fix there was some
problems with the facility and they took the cover off.
They wanted to fix the cover, and so their explanation is,
you know, we were just doing routine maintenance. The answer
the answer to that is yeah, you know, we've got
a hugely dangerous fire season, between climate change and the
winds and all the other fires that have been traumatizing people.
(25:38):
You should have known that. You shouldn't be running around
with a freaking empty reservoir, which resulted, you know, you
go to the fire hydrant and there's nothing there. So
that lawsuit is different, but it's sort of after the fact.
It isn't you know, you caused it. You should have
been able to solve the problem and put the fire out,
and the water wasn't there because of you.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, that's really that's fascinating. So I only have another minute,
which is why I've got to move on. But I
find this truly intriguing. We'll talk about it again. Give
us a second on Jacksmith's final report, the analysis that
you can provide on that.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
Yeah, well you've heard of speaking from the grave. Well,
he resigned last year. He's not exactly dead, but he's
speaking from the grave. Because this report says, Okay, we
had to drop the Washington DC January sixth deal about
Trump knowingly advancing false claims of election fraud and pressuring
the government officials and acting unlawfully and disenfranchising quoters. We
(26:33):
had to because the Department of Justice thinks you just
can't go after a sitting president. He's soon going to
be a sitting president. But I still want to tell
you why we would have won if we'd had a
little more time to go to trial. So that's essentially
what Smith's report says, gives all the reasons why he
thinks he would havenvinced a jury to find Donald Trump
guilty of about bunch.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Were those reasons convincing to you, Royal?
Speaker 7 (26:56):
Well, you know, it depends on how you look at it.
For example, when he's said, you know, go fight, fight, fight,
and then in the next breath he says, you know,
march peaceably. You know, did he really inside a riot?
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Now?
Speaker 7 (27:06):
Did he absolutely know for sure there was no legal
basis for pushing his theories. And therefore when he said
to Mike Pants, you know, be a patriot, not something else.
I want you to send the count back to the States.
Was he just lying or did he actually have a
sincere belief that he had been cheated. It's hard to
climb into the guy's head. But the fact is, you know,
he lost sixty straight lawsuits, so it's difficult to defend
(27:29):
his position. Did he had a legal bob he had?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Wasn't there the fake elector thing? Was that part of
it as well, wasn't it?
Speaker 7 (27:35):
Yeah? Exactly, he had people signed saying I swear at
the penalty brigery, I am the legitimate elector from X
state because I believe Donald Trump's arguments, and in fact
they weren't the electors and he had lost in court.
So those folks are suffering criminal liability in states all
over the country. Donald Trump hasn't been dragged into any
of those suits. Basically, it's just the Washington d c.
(27:57):
Lawsuit that now you know, he's is in the Gonzo
because Jack Smith is retired, but he's playing. I could
have won if we've gone in front of a journey.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Yeah. Royal Oaks from ABC I always love talking to you.
Thank you, my friend. Yeah, good steps, mar Yeah, Royal
Oaks from ABC News. That's a bit of the legal
side on the fires and what's going on in Washington
with the Jack Smith's report. One of the things that
is talked about through the many days we had that
massive event, I mean virtually unprecedented event.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
To produce the fires.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
With the wind velocities of eighty to one hundred miles
an hour, you just drive these flames. It didn't matter
how much water you had. I heard Handle talking about
it this morning. I mean, there's a lot being made
of sort of empty reservoir, the hydrants, et cetera. Look really,
maybe difference around the edges. I don't know, but it
would appear that based on every credible source I've read
(28:51):
and people I've spoken to with decades in this world,
that it wouldn't have mattered at the time of wins
with those velocity. Now we're dealing with a different event today,
which is a picking up of these winds in the
afternoon and evening hours. Red flag. A lot of the
same conditions right persist, that is to say, tender, dry
(29:14):
conditions and a different area that looks to be the
center of attention. And in that space is Michael Monks today.
Where are you, Michael hie.
Speaker 8 (29:26):
Hey Mark?
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Right now?
Speaker 8 (29:26):
I'm in Porter Ranch. I'm at the Porter Ranch Town Center.
And I got to say, it looks like business as
usual for a lot of folks in this area. There
are a lot of shops here, Walmart, Ralphs of Burlington,
types of big box stores you see all over the area,
and people are cautiously moving about doing what they would do.
I was earlier walking around and visiting and talking to
(29:48):
folks in Thousand Oaks, and it was pretty much the
same situation. I visited a few grocery stores and they
were all very busy. Ralph's there, whole foods of Vonds,
and it didn't look like panic buying, so to speak.
It could just look like a Tuesday afternoon and folks
going about their business. And I think it's because what
I've gathered from folks is they've been through these situations,
(30:09):
maybe not necessarily a wind event back to back like
we're experiencing now, but they certainly know the dangers of wildfires,
and they certainly know how to prepare for them. So
it's one eye on the forecast and one eye on
their regular Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
That's interesting. So people aren't in the least bit poised
to evacuate or necessarily nervous or anxious in any way
that you can pick up on anyway.
Speaker 8 (30:36):
I think that people are ready, or at least ready
to be ready if they need to be. I talked
to the spokeswoman over at the City one thousand Oaks
a little while ago, and she mentioned anxiety. That people
certainly develop a sense of anxiety based on their own
experience as recently as twenty eighteen and the Woolsey Fire
when a lot of them had to evacuate from Thousand
(30:56):
Oaks in the surrounding area because of that devastating fire.
Folks here know what it means to get a warning.
It's in their blood now. But today it's again. They're
watching the situation, monitoring the situation, are hopefully prepared to
go should that call arise. We hope it doesn't, but
if it does, they should be ready. I will contrast
(31:17):
this with my visit to Brentwood just yesterday, and Brentwood
there was very clear anxiety. You could feel the anxiety
in the air, and that is probably due to the
proximity to the recent damage that took place, the carnage
that took place all across the Palisades, and because Brentwood
is right next to that evacuation warning zone line and
(31:38):
the shops there were relatively empty, very few people walking around,
so there was a lot of concern.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
But here the.
Speaker 8 (31:45):
Fire is a little farther away, it's not far from
their thoughts. Everybody in the region feels what has happened
in the Palisades and an Altadena in Pasadena, but because
the flames weren't necessarily knocking at the door here, it's
a different sense. I mean, there's a big line here
at the in and out burger. Folks are having a
nice it's a beautiful day.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
That's the other thing.
Speaker 8 (32:06):
And I talked about this with the spokeswoman from the
city one thousand Oaks. Does this beautiful day give any
false possible that that has happened, but we're hopeful that
it doesn't. The wind has picked up. I can't deny
that fact. I've been driving around since about seven thirty
this morning. It was calm this morning, wasn't seeing a
(32:27):
whole lot of wind at all. But now the Palm
trees are certainly bowing their heads. I'm sure you can
hear the wind in the background here. It's picked up considerably.
And so now we're into that zone where we wait
to see what happens over the next twenty four or
thirty hours or so.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yeah, it's interesting because this is, at least from a
timing standpoint, right on time. That is to say, wind
velocities are supposed to pick up this afternoon and even
more intense later tonight. So from that standpoint, everything seems
right on track. We have seen some revised forecasts and
spoke to him meteorologist from the National Weather Service, who
was saying that they are revising their forecast down a bit,
(33:06):
so while they are expecting a wind event, they are
expecting it to be slightly better than it was to
have been. Have you heard same.
Speaker 8 (33:16):
Yeah, that's comforting news to know, because I mean, we
got the forecast last week. It was right on target
and unfortunately delivered the absolute worst outcome that any of
us could have imagined, erasing parts of Los Angeles completely.
And for you know, just yesterday in your seat, filling
in for Gary and Shannon, we had Nil Savidra and
(33:38):
Marlteaz and they talked to a meteorologist who said that
if he were to compare the devastation possible from the
forecast the week before to the forecast this week, on
a scale of one to ten, he rated it as
a nine, which was rather chilling to think that we
were going to be in the same ballpark. So to
hear that it has been possibly pulled back a little
(33:58):
bit is great news. Is now the worst thing that
could happen is an exacerbation of the existing fires or
even worse, new devastating fires.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, indeed, Michael Monks, thanks great to talk to
you and at least a sort of a firsthand view
as to what's happening now in an area that we're
watching for this wind event. Appreciate your You've got a
marketing keeping on, you know, just in terms of, you know,
comparing these things. We'd thought that today, meaning this afternoon
and tonight would be roughly this is based on wind
(34:29):
velocity forecast, and I was looking at all the wind
profiles about twenty five percent, i'd say, less than the
event last week. And then we spoke to the National
Weather Service mediorologists today and he was saying and I'd
revise it down, he said, even another twenty percent. So
I mean again, these are rough percentages, and I think
(34:53):
we have to really be in a state of preparedness.
We've seen what happens, and it can happen in an instant,
but certainly the news at this hour anyway, and these
forecasts do change hour to hour. Variables can all of
a sudden emerge that hadn't been in the forecast before.
But at this hour it looks as though we may
(35:15):
catch a little bit of a break and this may
not be quite as bad as was anticipated. Co Belt
is next, the great John Coleblt. I love just passing
him in the hallway, just getting a whiff of that
John Coleblt, just a whiff of that success, a whiff
of that kind of that rage that boils inside him.
(35:37):
He just can't wait to unleash it.
Speaker 7 (35:39):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
You can't wait to start screaming about some politician. He's
going to pursue the righteous right. As we continue here
on KFI tomorrow, Marla does join me. It should be fun.
Speaker 8 (35:54):
You've been listening to the Gary and Shannon Show, you
can always hear us live on KFI AM six forty
nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday, and
anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.