latimes--2020-10-24--Column: They're young and don't love Biden, but can't take any more of Trump

They ’ re young , politically engaged , and don ’ t care much for President Trump .
But they aren ’ t necessarily bowled over by Joe Biden .
So will they even vote in the presidential election , and can Biden win without them ?
“ If California was a swing state , I definitely would vote for Biden , ” said Connie Arteaga , a 27-year-old educational aide and Commerce resident who said the Democratic candidate would be preferable to Trump on judicial appointments and other issues .
But California isn ’ t a swing state — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So Arteaga — who can ’ t abide Trump but says Biden is way too moderate for her on healthcare , the environment and social causes — already cast a ballot without voting for president .
She limited herself to local and state issues .
“ For working-class people through the years , ” Arteaga said , “ there ’ s been no systematic change under Republican presidents or Democratic presidents.
” I met Arteaga back in February at Bernie Sanders ’ headquarters in East Los Angeles , where she was volunteering and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s year .
Back then , a poll of California Democratic voters had Biden miles behind Sanders , and also trailing Elizabeth Warren , Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg .
Now , just over a week from election day , national polls show Biden with a lead over Trump .
But in swing states , every voting demographic will be critical .
And while Biden leads Trump among Black , Latino and young voters , is there enough enthusiasm to generate the big turnouts he needs ?
A Politico/Morning Consult poll found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 23 , are twice as likely to vote for Biden as for Trump , and two-thirds of them disapprove of Trump ’ s record on racial justice and the pandemic , among other things .
But a slight majority of young voters view Biden unfavorably rather than favorably , and 45 % of Biden ’ s supporters said they ’ d mainly be voting against Trump .
Justin Tseng , a 20-year-old Harvard University student and chair of the school ’ s Public Opinion Project , has a more optimistic take on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This will be a youth-driven election , ” and voter turnout could hit historic highs , Tseng predicted , citing the pandemic , its disruption of education and its impact on job prospects for young people .
Tseng is basing that on what he sees and hears among contemporaries , and also on the results of the Harvard project ’ s polling in late August and early September of roughly 1,200 U.S. voters between 18 and 29 .
In the poll , 63 % of respondents said they would definitely vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among likely voters , 60 % like Biden , an even higher number than the 58 % of young voters who liked President Obama over Sen. John McCain in 2008 .
But the poll also identified one of Biden ’ s biggest weaknesses .
While 44 % of Trump supporters said they were very enthusiastic about the president , only 30 % of Biden ’ s supporters were over the moon about him .
Still , Tseng is sticking with his prediction of a big turnout .
Young people , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings , they ’ ve witnessed the destructive forces of unchecked climate change , they ’ ve participated in demonstrations against racial and economic injustice , and they ’ re hungry for calm , sure-handed leadership on the pandemic and its impact on the economy .
No doubt , Trump has plenty of young supporters in California and other states .
But as the polls suggest , Biden is winning the youth vote , while the race is much tighter among older Americans .
I may be jaded , as the father of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get , the more convinced I am that young people are our best hope to heal a corrosively divided country .
They tend to be more open-minded about race and gender , they ’ re fed up with blatant lies and empty promises , they ’ re tired of being ignored and they ’ ve taken to the streets to be heard .
It ’ s hard for many of them to fathom how we could have a president who turned the White House into a COVID-19 hot spot while refusing to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts as idiots , even as more dead are buried and the virus surges .
Trump has lorded over a voter suppression campaign and been cheered by white supremacists while claiming he ’ s done more for Black people than anyone except Abraham Lincoln .
It ’ s head-snapping lunacy , and the act has worn thin .
“ It seems like young people of all ages are fed up , ” said 31-year-old Kirstie Jeffries , a digital marketing professional and travel blogger who lives in Studio City .
Joe Biden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Jeffries has already cast an early vote for him .
When I first spoke to her , back in February , she was volunteering for the Elizabeth Warren campaign .
“ As far as I know , all of my friends are voting , and they ’ re voting for Biden regardless of who they supported in the primary .
Even if they ’ re not excited about Biden , they ’ re happy to be voting for anyone who is not Trump , ” said Jeffries , adding that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago have reregistered as independents because of him .
“ He ’ s made it OK to be openly racist and bigoted , and that ’ s really scary , ” Jeffries said .
“ And climate change , of course , is so time-sensitive , we need to be figuring it out now .
We can ’ t wait four more years.
” Ricardo Alonzo Ugalde , a 36-year-old electrical and software engineer who owns his own company in Montebello , was not planning to vote for Biden .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February and followed him as he knocked on doors for Sanders .
Alonzo Ugalde wants to see big changes on climate , immigration reform and the staggering gaps in income , wealth and opportunity .
He wasn ’ t sure he was going to vote for president when Sanders dropped out of the race .
But when I checked in with him a few days ago , Alonzo Ugalde had some news .
“ I ’ m now supporting Joe Biden , ” he said .
It ’ s not that he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is too moderate for his tastes .
It ’ s that “ as someone who studies and loves science , it ’ s hard to fathom that we live in a country where people are anti-science.
” It ’ s that he can never forgive some of Trump ’ s most inflammatory remarks — “ My dad is a Mexican ; is my dad a rapist ?
I ’ m an immigrant ; am I a rapist ?
” — and he can never forget how such purposely divisive rhetoric sealed the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Trump ’ s lack of empathy and adult behavior on the coronavirus , which has disproportionately hit low-income people of color .
There has been one positive in the last four years , Alonzo Ugalde said .
Trump ’ s presidency has awakened his young relatives and friends , turned young bystanders into activists , and brought them to a common cause .
“ We ’ ve got ta get this guy out of the White House .
”

They’re young, politically engaged, and don’t care much for President Trump. But they aren’t necessarily bowled over by Joe Biden.
So will they even vote in the presidential election, and can Biden win without them?
“If California was a swing state, I definitely would vote for Biden,” said Connie Arteaga, a 27-year-old educational aide and Commerce resident who said the Democratic candidate would be preferable to Trump on judicial appointments and other issues.
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But California isn’t a swing state — Biden is expected to trounce Trump. So Arteaga — who can’t abide Trump but says Biden is way too moderate for her on healthcare, the environment and social causes — already cast a ballot without voting for president. She limited herself to local and state issues.
“For working-class people through the years,” Arteaga said, “there’s been no systematic change under Republican presidents or Democratic presidents.”
I met Arteaga back in February at Bernie Sanders’ headquarters in East Los Angeles, where she was volunteering and hoping this would be the Vermont senator’s year. Back then, a poll of California Democratic voters had Biden miles behind Sanders, and also trailing Elizabeth Warren, Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg.
Now, just over a week from election day, national polls show Biden with a lead over Trump. But in swing states, every voting demographic will be critical. And while Biden leads Trump among Black, Latino and young voters, is there enough enthusiasm to generate the big turnouts he needs?
A Politico/Morning Consult poll found that Generation Z voters, between 18 and 23, are twice as likely to vote for Biden as for Trump, and two-thirds of them disapprove of Trump’s record on racial justice and the pandemic, among other things. But a slight majority of young voters view Biden unfavorably rather than favorably, and 45% of Biden’s supporters said they’d mainly be voting against Trump.
Justin Tseng, a 20-year-old Harvard University student and chair of the school’s Public Opinion Project, has a more optimistic take on young voter enthusiasm and anticipated turnout.
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“This will be a youth-driven election,” and voter turnout could hit historic highs, Tseng predicted, citing the pandemic, its disruption of education and its impact on job prospects for young people.
Tseng is basing that on what he sees and hears among contemporaries, and also on the results of the Harvard project’s polling in late August and early September of roughly 1,200 U.S. voters between 18 and 29.
In the poll, 63% of respondents said they would definitely vote, compared with 46% in 2016. Among likely voters, 60% like Biden, an even higher number than the 58% of young voters who liked President Obama over Sen. John McCain in 2008.
But the poll also identified one of Biden’s biggest weaknesses. While 44% of Trump supporters said they were very enthusiastic about the president, only 30% of Biden’s supporters were over the moon about him.
Still, Tseng is sticking with his prediction of a big turnout. Young people, he said, have grown up with fear of school shootings, they’ve witnessed the destructive forces of unchecked climate change, they’ve participated in demonstrations against racial and economic injustice, and they’re hungry for calm, sure-handed leadership on the pandemic and its impact on the economy.
No doubt, Trump has plenty of young supporters in California and other states. But as the polls suggest, Biden is winning the youth vote, while the race is much tighter among older Americans.
I may be jaded, as the father of a 17-year-old, but the older I get, the more convinced I am that young people are our best hope to heal a corrosively divided country. They tend to be more open-minded about race and gender, they’re fed up with blatant lies and empty promises, they’re tired of being ignored and they’ve taken to the streets to be heard.
It’s hard for many of them to fathom how we could have a president who turned the White House into a COVID-19 hot spot while refusing to wear a mask and referring to public health experts as idiots, even as more dead are buried and the virus surges. Trump has lorded over a voter suppression campaign and been cheered by white supremacists while claiming he’s done more for Black people than anyone except Abraham Lincoln.
It’s head-snapping lunacy, and the act has worn thin.
“It seems like young people of all ages are fed up,” said 31-year-old Kirstie Jeffries, a digital marketing professional and travel blogger who lives in Studio City.
Joe Biden was not her guy a few months ago, but Jeffries has already cast an early vote for him. When I first spoke to her, back in February, she was volunteering for the Elizabeth Warren campaign.
“As far as I know, all of my friends are voting, and they’re voting for Biden regardless of who they supported in the primary. Even if they’re not excited about Biden, they’re happy to be voting for anyone who is not Trump,” said Jeffries, adding that some of her Republican friends who supported Trump four years ago have reregistered as independents because of him.
“He’s made it OK to be openly racist and bigoted, and that’s really scary,” Jeffries said. “And climate change, of course, is so time-sensitive, we need to be figuring it out now. We can’t wait four more years.”
Ricardo Alonzo Ugalde, a 36-year-old electrical and software engineer who owns his own company in Montebello, was not planning to vote for Biden. He was Bernie-or-bust when I met him in February and followed him as he knocked on doors for Sanders. Alonzo Ugalde wants to see big changes on climate, immigration reform and the staggering gaps in income, wealth and opportunity. He wasn’t sure he was going to vote for president when Sanders dropped out of the race.
But when I checked in with him a few days ago, Alonzo Ugalde had some news.
“I’m now supporting Joe Biden,” he said.
It’s not that he’s become a big fan; Biden is too moderate for his tastes.
It’s that “as someone who studies and loves science, it’s hard to fathom that we live in a country where people are anti-science.”
It’s that he can never forgive some of Trump’s most inflammatory remarks — “My dad is a Mexican; is my dad a rapist? I’m an immigrant; am I a rapist?” — and he can never forget how such purposely divisive rhetoric sealed the support of so many people.
And it’s Trump’s lack of empathy and adult behavior on the coronavirus, which has disproportionately hit low-income people of color.
There has been one positive in the last four years, Alonzo Ugalde said. Trump’s presidency has awakened his young relatives and friends, turned young bystanders into activists, and brought them to a common cause.
“We’ve gotta get this guy out of the White House.”


latimes--2020-10-24--In a toss-up Central Valley district, Republicans and Democrats wage a vicious campaign

Ominous music plays as a copy machine spits out side-by-side photos of President Trump and former Republican Rep. David Valadao , who is running for the congressional seat he lost two years ago .
In the advertisement from his challenger , Democratic Rep. T.J. Cox , a deep-voiced narrator calls Valadao “ a yes-man who voted with Trump 99 % '' — a barb in a state that is the heart of the liberal resistance .
Ads supporting Valadao , meanwhile , portray Cox as a shady millionaire , flashing images of a yacht and champagne flutes and hammering him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes that the Internal Revenue Service filed against him earlier this year .
Cox , one ad claims , is “ the single most corrupt member of Congress.
” This is the prime-time beat down that runs in endless loops at the home of Janie Isidoro and her family in the Central Valley every time they turn on the TV or radio or venture onto Facebook .
“ Sometimes it ’ ll be Valadao , then T.J. Cox , then Valadao , ” said Isidoro , who runs a Chicano gift shop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my husband and the kids literally sit there and are like , ‘ Whaaaat ?
!
’ It ’ s a bloodbath.
” Welcome to the race for the 21st Congressional District — parental discretion advised for political ugliness — a purpling battleground in the heart of California ’ s ruby-red Central Valley .
The congressional seat is one of seven in California that Republicans lost amid a 2018 anti-Trump blue wave that helped Democrats retake the U.S. House of Representatives .
The claws have come out in this rural , heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left after decades of Republican domination .
“ This race is a really big deal , ” said Ivy Cargile , an assistant professor of political science at Cal State Bakersfield .
“ The Republicans want it back .
They never thought this district was going to be flippable ...
The Central Valley , it ’ s the Bible Belt of California.
” The vast district is marked by small towns , dairy farms and vast agricultural fields .
Dust is everywhere : It coats vehicles .
It is kicked up by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haunts the stories of Dust Bowl refugees who settled here .
It is one of the most Latino congressional districts in the country , with Latinos comprising three-quarters of the population and about 57 % of registered voters .
“ Mixed-status ” families , in which some members are citizens and others are not , are common .
Both Cox and Valadao say they support a path to citizenship for young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children , and both are quick to say they are sons of immigrants .
Cox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and China ; Valadao ’ s are from the Azores Islands of Portugal .
In 2018 , Cox unseated Valadao , a three-term GOP congressman , by just 862 votes in a surprise victory that sent shock waves through a Republican Party that now holds only seven of the Golden State ’ s 53 House seats .
On election night two years ago , Valadao led by around 4,400 votes , and the Associated Press declared him the winner .
But the lead eroded as mail-in and provisional ballots were counted .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed victory three weeks after election day .
The Cook Political Report , a nonpartisan election handicapper , calls this year ’ s race a toss-up .
But Republicans strongly believe they can win it back .
Justin Richards , political director for the National Republican Congressional Committee , said this week that though the group does not reveal its internal polling , there is evidence that Valadao is doing well .
“ There ’ s enough data out there to show how strong some of our candidates are doing , whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a district that Hillary Clinton won by 15 points , being up by 10 , or [ California Congressman ] Mike Garcia winning again in a Hillary district , ” he said .
The 21st District — which includes all of Kings County and portions of Fresno , Tulare and Kern counties — is sandwiched between the districts of two high-profile Republicans : House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Bakersfield ) and Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-Tulare ) , whose giant red-lettered signs plastered all along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 scream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the space between McCarthy ’ s and Nunes ’ districts is “ a particular form of political and personal indigestion , ” Cox told The Times .
“ My opponent has been Kevin McCarthy ’ s pet project , ” Cox said .
“ Kevin McCarthy is going after me on the House floor every time he has an opportunity , and the fact is he is the leader of the Republican Party that lost seven seats ... in his backyard , and he ’ s looking for redemption.
” Cox , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said , “ the Republican policies — limiting healthcare access and a woman ’ s right to choose , tax cuts for the very wealthy — aren ’ t the things that are paying off for people in the valley.
” The 21st District , where Clinton beat Trump by 15 % , would seem an apparent stronghold for Democrats .
Among registered voters , 44 % are Democrats and 27 % are Republicans .
But Valadao , a 43-year-old Hanford dairy farmer who benefits from local name recognition , easily held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , until Cox eked out a win .
Democrats here tend to be more conservative than those in the Bay Area and Southern California , said state Assemblyman Vince Fong ( R-Bakersfield ) .
Valadao , he said , prevailed by focusing on local issues such as water access in the drought-plagued Central Valley .
“ It ’ s a very blue-collar community , very tight-knit .
They want problem solvers .
When you run for office here , you have to cut through the noise , ” Fong said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 in part because of so-called “ ballot harvesting.
” For years , Republicans nationwide have decried laws that allow a third party to collect voters ’ completed ballots , saying the process is ripe for election fraud .
But in recent weeks , the California Republican Party has been sparring with state officials over its use of unofficial , unauthorized containers labeled as ballot drop boxes , which were placed at gun shops , shooting ranges , churches and GOP offices in several counties .
“ There ’ s a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the day , everything I ’ ve done in my career and campaigning has been focused on myself and my opponent and not allowing outside noise to play a role , ” Valadao said .
Cox , who voted to impeach Trump , has been eager to tie Valadao to the president .
“ You have a president that has absolutely no respect for the Latino community , ” Cox said .
“ He insults them at every turn , calls them rapists and murderers .
...
The Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the valley .
They stood up and made their voices heard in 2018 , and they ’ re going to do it again in 2020.
” During a February speech in Bakersfield on water policy , Trump called Valadao an “ incredible guy ” and said , “ We really need him badly in Washington.
” But Valadao — who pitches himself as a moderate willing to work with both sides of the aisle — has invoked the name of another president : Barack Obama .
In one ad , he claimed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more water to the Central Valley ” and “ stood up to his own party to reform immigration and protect Dreamers.
” A spokeswoman for Obama told news organizations that Valadao was “ resorting to distortion to falsely suggest President Obama ’ s support ” and that Obama had endorsed Cox .
Migrant stories are the soul of this sunbaked district , where , in 1948 , a plane chartered by federal immigration officials crashed near Coalinga , killing all 32 people on board — including 28 migrant farmworkers being flown to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmworkers , buried without names in a mass grave in Fresno , prompted Woody Guthrie to write a poem that would later be sung by a string of artists including Dolly Parton and Bruce Springsteen : Who are all these friends , all scattered like dry leaves ?
/ The radio says , “ They are just deportees.
” The district also includes Delano , where Cesar Chavez and Mexican and Filipino grape pickers staged a five-year strike half a century ago for more humane working conditions for field workers .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country , the biggest producers of fruit and nuts and dairy , the heart of the table grape industry .
Perhaps no place in the nation is more important to changing our immigration laws than [ this ] district , ” said Marc Grossman , spokesman for the United Farmworkers .
“ That was before COVID-19 , which devastated farmworkers.
” The coronavirus has ravaged the Central Valley , spreading rapidly among Latino essential workers in food processing plants and in the fields .
But in Kings County , where Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many don ’ t wear masks , and road signs read : “ The only thing worse than COVID-19 would be Biden-20.
” At a heifer auction this month at Overland Stock Yard in Hanford , no one in the small , all-male audience covered their faces , and attendees spoke admiringly about people fleeing California for Idaho .
When a Times reporter asked several attendees about the congressional race , one motioned for her to pull her mask down , looked at her press badge , then told her that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your kind.
” In the Kings County Republican headquarters across town , volunteer Mary Jane Loya , 74 , blamed ballot harvesting for Valadao ’ s loss .
“ You don ’ t want to accuse anybody of being dishonest , but it just didn ’ t seem to add up , ” she said .
“ They ’ re really on top of it this year to make sure these votes get turned in right and by the right people and they ’ re signed correctly and there ’ s not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has lived in Hanford since 1967 , said she knows Valadao ’ s family , and “ he comes from good stock.
” In that GOP office , Trump 2020 masks were for sale , but no one covered their face .
Meanwhile , the Democratic Party office in Fresno was plastered with signs about social distancing , and masks were ubiquitous among the few people present .
For Democrats , “ our ground game has been crippled ” by the pandemic , said Cathy Jorgensen , chair of the Democratic Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer has a physical office in the county after closing its small space in Hanford as a safety precaution , she said .
Volunteers are relying on phone banking , letter writing , social media and text messaging instead of knocking on doors .
Hanford is a tough place to be a Democrat , she said .
Years ago , someone flipped over a Democratic table she was running at a farmers market and tore up her informational papers .
Someone else sent her a threatening letter .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but this is rough , ” she said .
“ This has been a pretty dirty campaign , and that makes me sad.
” Humberto Gomez Jr. , a Central Valley regional director for the state Democratic Party , said Valadao lost a lot of support after voting in 2017 to replace the Affordable Care Act with a Republican-engineered healthcare plan .
After that vote , Gomez said , a taqueria across the street from Valadao ’ s Catholic church put up signs supporting Valadao ’ s challengers , and it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose Mexican grandfather was a so-called bracero working the fields as part of a guest worker program during World War II — said that whoever wins the Latino vote will win the race .
But reaching voters amid a pandemic that is disproportionately killing Latinos is a struggle because Democrats are eschewing in-person campaigning , he said .
“ People are working out in the fields ; they ’ re not going to be picking up the cellphones or talking , so , generally , you have to work a ground game here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is old-school grass roots .
You don ’ t win this district with mailers , with advertisements .
You win this district by knocking on doors .
”

Cathy Jorgensen, chair of the Kings County Democratic Central Committee, has a yard full of Democratic candidate signs in Hanford, Calif. She lives in the 21st Congressional District, where there is a close race between Democratic Rep. T.J. Cox and former Rep. David Valadao, a Republican.
Ominous music plays as a copy machine spits out side-by-side photos of President Trump and former Republican Rep. David Valadao, who is running for the congressional seat he lost two years ago.
In the advertisement from his challenger, Democratic Rep. T.J. Cox, a deep-voiced narrator calls Valadao “a yes-man who voted with Trump 99%” — a barb in a state that is the heart of the liberal resistance.
Ads supporting Valadao, meanwhile, portray Cox as a shady millionaire, flashing images of a yacht and champagne flutes and hammering him for a $145,000 lien for unpaid taxes that the Internal Revenue Service filed against him earlier this year. Cox, one ad claims, is “the single most corrupt member of Congress.”
This is the prime-time beat down that runs in endless loops at the home of Janie Isidoro and her family in the Central Valley every time they turn on the TV or radio or venture onto Facebook.
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“Sometimes it’ll be Valadao, then T.J. Cox, then Valadao,” said Isidoro, who runs a Chicano gift shop and bookstore in downtown Hanford. “Me, my husband and the kids literally sit there and are like, ‘Whaaaat?!’ It’s a bloodbath.”
Janie Isidoro, owner of My Corazon in downtown Hanford, has noticed aggressive political ads in the 21st District. Isidoro’s shop celebrates Chicano culture in the heavily Latino San Joaquin Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Welcome to the race for the 21st Congressional District — parental discretion advised for political ugliness — a purpling battleground in the heart of California’s ruby-red Central Valley.
The congressional seat is one of seven in California that Republicans lost amid a 2018 anti-Trump blue wave that helped Democrats retake the U.S. House of Representatives. The claws have come out in this rural, heavily Latino region that has been tilting to the left after decades of Republican domination.
California Rep. T.J. Cox, campaigning for Congress in January 2017. “This race is a really big deal. The Republicans want it back,” says a political expert about the 21st Congressional District in the Central Valley. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
“This race is a really big deal,” said Ivy Cargile, an assistant professor of political science at Cal State Bakersfield. “The Republicans want it back. They never thought this district was going to be flippable ... The Central Valley, it’s the Bible Belt of California.”
The vast district is marked by small towns, dairy farms and vast agricultural fields. Dust is everywhere: It coats vehicles. It is kicked up by the wind into dust devils. It haunts the stories of Dust Bowl refugees who settled here.
It is one of the most Latino congressional districts in the country, with Latinos comprising three-quarters of the population and about 57% of registered voters. “Mixed-status” families, in which some members are citizens and others are not, are common.
Both Cox and Valadao say they support a path to citizenship for young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, and both are quick to say they are sons of immigrants. Cox’s parents hailed from the Philippines and China; Valadao’s are from the Azores Islands of Portugal.
In 2018, Cox unseated Valadao, a three-term GOP congressman, by just 862 votes in a surprise victory that sent shock waves through a Republican Party that now holds only seven of the Golden State’s 53 House seats.
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On election night two years ago, Valadao led by around 4,400 votes, and the Associated Press declared him the winner. But the lead eroded as mail-in and provisional ballots were counted. The AP retracted its call, and Cox claimed victory three weeks after election day. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, calls this year’s race a toss-up.
But Republicans strongly believe they can win it back. Justin Richards, political director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said this week that though the group does not reveal its internal polling, there is evidence that Valadao is doing well.
“There’s enough data out there to show how strong some of our candidates are doing, whether it’s David Valadao in California 21, a district that Hillary Clinton won by 15 points, being up by 10, or [California Congressman] Mike Garcia winning again in a Hillary district,” he said.
Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) in Washington in October 2015. He was unseated in 2018 by Democrat T.J. Cox by just 862 votes in a surprise victory that sent shock waves through the Republican Party. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call)
The 21st District — which includes all of Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties — is sandwiched between the districts of two high-profile Republicans: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), whose giant red-lettered signs plastered all along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 scream: SAY NO TO SOCIALISM.
Representing the space between McCarthy’s and Nunes’ districts is “a particular form of political and personal indigestion,” Cox told The Times.
“My opponent has been Kevin McCarthy’s pet project,” Cox said. “Kevin McCarthy is going after me on the House floor every time he has an opportunity, and the fact is he is the leader of the Republican Party that lost seven seats ... in his backyard, and he’s looking for redemption.”
Signs for congressional rivals T.J. Cox and David Valadao along Highway 43 between Hanford and Fresno. Attack ads paint Cox as a shady millionaire whereas others portray Valadao as “a yes-man who voted with Trump 99%.” (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Cox, a 57-year-old engineer who founded two nut-processing companies, said, “the Republican policies — limiting healthcare access and a woman’s right to choose, tax cuts for the very wealthy — aren’t the things that are paying off for people in the valley.”
The 21st District, where Clinton beat Trump by 15%, would seem an apparent stronghold for Democrats. Among registered voters, 44% are Democrats and 27% are Republicans. But Valadao, a 43-year-old Hanford dairy farmer who benefits from local name recognition, easily held the seat after his first race in 2012, until Cox eked out a win.
Democrats here tend to be more conservative than those in the Bay Area and Southern California, said state Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield). Valadao, he said, prevailed by focusing on local issues such as water access in the drought-plagued Central Valley.
“It’s a very blue-collar community, very tight-knit. They want problem solvers. When you run for office here, you have to cut through the noise,” Fong said.
Volunteer Mary Jane Loya is at Kings County Republican headquarters in Hanford, Calif., which is filled with Trump-Pence gear as well as for David Valadao. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
In an interview, Valadao said he lost in 2018 in part because of so-called “ballot harvesting.”
For years, Republicans nationwide have decried laws that allow a third party to collect voters’ completed ballots, saying the process is ripe for election fraud. But in recent weeks, the California Republican Party has been sparring with state officials over its use of unofficial, unauthorized containers labeled as ballot drop boxes, which were placed at gun shops, shooting ranges, churches and GOP offices in several counties.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric being thrown around, but at the end of the day, everything I’ve done in my career and campaigning has been focused on myself and my opponent and not allowing outside noise to play a role,” Valadao said.
Cox, who voted to impeach Trump, has been eager to tie Valadao to the president.
“You have a president that has absolutely no respect for the Latino community,” Cox said. “He insults them at every turn, calls them rapists and murderers. ... The Donald and David show was hurting people of the valley. They stood up and made their voices heard in 2018, and they’re going to do it again in 2020.”
During a February speech in Bakersfield on water policy, Trump called Valadao an “incredible guy” and said, “We really need him badly in Washington.”
But Valadao — who pitches himself as a moderate willing to work with both sides of the aisle — has invoked the name of another president: Barack Obama. In one ad, he claimed he “worked with President Obama to bring more water to the Central Valley” and “stood up to his own party to reform immigration and protect Dreamers.”
A spokeswoman for Obama told news organizations that Valadao was “resorting to distortion to falsely suggest President Obama’s support” and that Obama had endorsed Cox.
Humberto Gomez, Regional 8 director of the California Democratic Party, collects T.J. Cox signs at the Fresno headquarters. Cox’s district, 21 is a rural, heavily Latino region that has been tilting to the left after decades of Republican domination. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Migrant stories are the soul of this sunbaked district, where, in 1948, a plane chartered by federal immigration officials crashed near Coalinga, killing all 32 people on board — including 28 migrant farmworkers being flown to the Mexican border. The anonymity of the farmworkers, buried without names in a mass grave in Fresno, prompted Woody Guthrie to write a poem that would later be sung by a string of artists including Dolly Parton and Bruce Springsteen: Who are all these friends, all scattered like dry leaves? / The radio says, “They are just deportees.”
The district also includes Delano, where Cesar Chavez and Mexican and Filipino grape pickers staged a five-year strike half a century ago for more humane working conditions for field workers.
“This is one of the largest agricultural districts in the country, the biggest producers of fruit and nuts and dairy, the heart of the table grape industry. Perhaps no place in the nation is more important to changing our immigration laws than [this] district,” said Marc Grossman, spokesman for the United Farmworkers. “That was before COVID-19, which devastated farmworkers.”
The coronavirus has ravaged the Central Valley, spreading rapidly among Latino essential workers in food processing plants and in the fields. But in Kings County, where Trump beat Clinton by 13% in 2016, many don’t wear masks, and road signs read: “The only thing worse than COVID-19 would be Biden-20.”
At a heifer auction this month at Overland Stock Yard in Hanford, no one in the small, all-male audience covered their faces, and attendees spoke admiringly about people fleeing California for Idaho.
When a Times reporter asked several attendees about the congressional race, one motioned for her to pull her mask down, looked at her press badge, then told her that he did not want to speak to “your kind.”
In the Kings County Republican headquarters across town, volunteer Mary Jane Loya, 74, blamed ballot harvesting for Valadao’s loss.
“You don’t want to accuse anybody of being dishonest, but it just didn’t seem to add up,” she said. “They’re really on top of it this year to make sure these votes get turned in right and by the right people and they’re signed correctly and there’s not a lot of provisional ballots.”
Loya, who has lived in Hanford since 1967, said she knows Valadao’s family, and “he comes from good stock.”
In that GOP office, Trump 2020 masks were for sale, but no one covered their face. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party office in Fresno was plastered with signs about social distancing, and masks were ubiquitous among the few people present.
For Democrats, “our ground game has been crippled” by the pandemic, said Cathy Jorgensen, chair of the Democratic Central Committee in Kings County. The party no longer has a physical office in the county after closing its small space in Hanford as a safety precaution, she said.
Volunteers are relying on phone banking, letter writing, social media and text messaging instead of knocking on doors.
Hanford is a tough place to be a Democrat, she said. Years ago, someone flipped over a Democratic table she was running at a farmers market and tore up her informational papers. Someone else sent her a threatening letter.
“I’m not going to be cowed by this, but this is rough,” she said. “This has been a pretty dirty campaign, and that makes me sad.”
Humberto Gomez Jr., a Central Valley regional director for the state Democratic Party, said Valadao lost a lot of support after voting in 2017 to replace the Affordable Care Act with a Republican-engineered healthcare plan.
After that vote, Gomez said, a taqueria across the street from Valadao’s Catholic church put up signs supporting Valadao’s challengers, and it “was a huge statement.”
Gomez — whose Mexican grandfather was a so-called bracero working the fields as part of a guest worker program during World War II — said that whoever wins the Latino vote will win the race.
But reaching voters amid a pandemic that is disproportionately killing Latinos is a struggle because Democrats are eschewing in-person campaigning, he said.
“People are working out in the fields; they’re not going to be picking up the cellphones or talking, so, generally, you have to work a ground game here,” Gomez said. “This is old-school grass roots. You don’t win this district with mailers, with advertisements. You win this district by knocking on doors.”
Times staff writer Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-25--San Francisco's go-slow approach toward reopening amid the pandemic is paying off

Much of San Francisco looked like a ghost town during late April .
All but essential services were closed .
Few roamed the streets .
The mood seemed as grim as the gray skies overhead .
Now life has returned .
Restaurants and stores are open .
Clad in masks , pedestrians last week clutched bags from stores where they had just shopped .
Diners sat at tables outside restaurants and cafes .
People strolled along the bay on the Embarcadero , and a huge Ferris wheel opened for business at Golden Gate Park .
After cautiously approaching the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward reopening , San Francisco has become the first urban center in California to enter the least restrictive tier for reopening .
Risk of infection , according to the state ’ s color-coded tiers , is considered minimal , even though San Francisco is the second-densest city in the country after New York .
“ We have , at least so far , done everything right , ” said Dr. Robert Wachter , professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at UC San Francisco .
City officials still are not declaring victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus still lurks around the corner .
And as they have before , they will follow local metrics rather than reopen just becomes the state allows it .
Experts credit San Francisco ’ s success to a long partnership between public health officers and universities , most notably during the AIDS crisis .
San Francisco is not monolithic , but its residents largely followed health guidelines .
Unlike other counties , which may have dozens of mayors and city councils , San Francisco is also a city with only one mayor and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely deferred to the judgment of health officials .
The tech industry , which has a prominent presence in San Francisco , played a role too .
Companies ordered their employees to work from home two weeks before San Francisco and other Bay Area counties shut down , Wachter said .
That not only kept more people off the streets but signaled to the rest of the region that industry giants were taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously .
San Francisco followed the “ hammer and dance ” approach , made famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the website Medium , Wachter said .
The city hit the hammer by shutting down early in the pandemic .
The dance has been more complicated .
The city has reopened slowly , making adjustments when cases rose and backtracking when necessary .
Of the 20 most populous cities in the U.S. , San Francisco has the lowest death rate per capita from COVID-19 .
If the entire country had followed the city ’ s approach , Wachter said , there would be 50,000 dead from the pandemic instead of more than 220,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not emerged unscathed .
Hundreds of businesses have closed permanently .
Public schools have yet to reopen , and the city faces a huge budget deficit .
Many residents moved away during the pandemic .
Although life has now returned to city streets , they are nowhere near as full as before the pandemic , when throngs of office workers and tourists crammed sidewalks .
Ridership on city buses has plummeted , along with revenues .
Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco ’ s public health director , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the health crisis .
Breed , always interested in science , studied chemistry before she switched to political science at UC Davis .
She grew up in a San Francisco housing project where deadly gun violence was common .
During an UC San Francisco online forum in September , she said she had often thought about what steps might have been taken decades ago to have saved lives in the projects .
When the coronavirus hit Wuhan , China , she said , she viewed it as “ way over there.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health officer came to her City Hall office earlier this year and warned the virus could overwhelm the city ’ s hospitals , which might have to turn away the sick .
That warning “ stopped me in my tracks , ” Breed said .
She knew that shutting down would hurt the economy and worsen economic disparities , but she said she felt as though there were no other choice .
She said she asked herself what she would want her mayor to do .
Saving lives was the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she walked into a grocery store and quickly backed out .
People were not following the health guidelines .
“ I called Dr. Colfax and said we need to shut this grocery store down , ” she recalled .
Colfax proved adept at messaging .
During the first few months of the pandemic , Colfax , Breed and other city officials held news conferences online three times a week .
Colfax was usually grim .
He warned the virus could quickly spin out of control .
The public health director began his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected and dead .
In a funerial voice , he directed his statement to the families of the dead and told them of his sorrow .
He warned of “ grave ” consequences if the health restrictions were not followed .
He worried aloud in July that San Francisco could become the next New York City , Houston or Florida .
San Francisco remained in a “ very vulnerable situation , ” he said .
Wachter remembers watching some of the “ very scary ” news conferences and wondering if Colfax had data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC San Francisco forum that he had to tell San Franciscans of the possibilities , even if the models represented the worst case , particularly as people grew tired of the restrictions .
“ When things are going a little sour , ” Wachter said later in an interview , “ his job is to scare the s— out of people.
” For her part , Breed hasn ’ t hesitated to scold .
After more than 1,000 people gathered at Ocean Beach early in September for a Burning Man celebration , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assemblage , calling it “ absolutely reckless and selfish.
” If Breed and Colfax “ erred on the side of being a little conservative , I think history will treat them kindly , `` Wachter said .
“ With the current trajectory , you are not going to hear anybody say they should have opened the restaurants sooner .
They are going to say they saved lives.
” San Francisco police also helped enforce the health rules .
When long lines sprung up outside a store , officers arrived to ensure people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parks on the weekends and handed out masks .
Citations were issued to repeat offenders , but for the most part people complied after being warned .
San Francisco rapidly expanded coronavirus tests months ago , making the city a leader nationally in testing .
It also worked with UC San Francisco to build a strong contact tracing program and devoted time and resources to the city ’ s heavily Latino Mission District , a source of many of the infections .
John Swartzberg , a UC Berkeley infectious disease expert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forged among Bay Area health officers and between the city and its public health officials during the AIDS epidemic .
“ The experience with AIDS in San Francisco did a tremendous amount to shape the public health culture in San Francisco , ” he said .
“ The relationship between SF General ( hospital ) and the community was just a beautiful thing to behold .
The trust it engendered had a halo effect that spilled over to the entire city.
” Comparing Los Angeles ’ pandemic experience to San Francisco ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stemmed from “ leadership or the people.
” He suspects that people in San Francisco tended to adhere to the health rules more than in other places .
The Bay Area is “ very diverse , ” he said , “ but not particularly diverse politically.
” The limitations on reopening drew criticism from gym owners and the Catholic archdiocese , but in San Francisco “ there is a general appreciation by the public of the importance of science , ” Wachter said , “ and not widespread skepticism when leaders say these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save people ’ s lives.
” Given San Francisco ’ s high density and international travel from Asia and Europe , “ this thing could have exploded even before anybody locked down , ” he said .
During a warm day last week , city residents walking beside the bay on the Embarcadero generally praised the city ’ s handling of the pandemic , although some complained of the threat of disease from homeless encampments and bemoaned the fact that public schools remained closed .
Cynthia Roberts , 66 , an acting coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress represented a mere lull in the pandemic .
“ Now that we are going to open up , we may have problems , ” she fretted .

Musicians play at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 22. The city is moving to the least restrictive yellow tier under the state’s coronavirus reopening guidelines.
Much of San Francisco looked like a ghost town during late April. All but essential services were closed. Few roamed the streets. The mood seemed as grim as the gray skies overhead.
Now life has returned. Restaurants and stores are open. Clad in masks, pedestrians last week clutched bags from stores where they had just shopped. Diners sat at tables outside restaurants and cafes. People strolled along the bay on the Embarcadero, and a huge Ferris wheel opened for business at Golden Gate Park.
After cautiously approaching the pandemic for months, with a go-slow attitude toward reopening, San Francisco has become the first urban center in California to enter the least restrictive tier for reopening. Risk of infection, according to the state’s color-coded tiers, is considered minimal, even though San Francisco is the second-densest city in the country after New York.
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“We have, at least so far, done everything right,” said Dr. Robert Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at UC San Francisco.
City officials still are not declaring victory. Characteristically, they warn, the virus still lurks around the corner. And as they have before, they will follow local metrics rather than reopen just because the state allows it.
A salesperson wears a mask in City Lights Books in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Experts credit San Francisco’s success to a long partnership between public health officers and universities, most notably during the AIDS crisis. San Francisco is not monolithic, but its residents largely followed health guidelines. Unlike other counties, which may have dozens of mayors and city councils, San Francisco is also a city with only one mayor and a Board of Supervisors, and both have largely deferred to the judgment of health officials.
The tech industry, which has a prominent presence in San Francisco, played a role too. Companies ordered their employees to work from home two weeks before San Francisco and other Bay Area counties shut down, Wachter said. That not only kept more people off the streets but also signaled to the rest of the region that industry giants were taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously.
San Francisco followed the “hammer and dance” approach, made famous by San Francisco author Tomas Pueyo on the website Medium, Wachter said. The city hit the hammer by shutting down early in the pandemic. The dance has been more complicated. The city has reopened slowly, making adjustments when cases rose and backtracking when necessary.
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Of the 20 most populous cities in the U.S., San Francisco has the lowest death rate per capita from COVID-19. If the entire country had followed the city’s approach, Wachter said, there would be 50,000 dead from the pandemic instead of more than 220,000.
To be sure, San Francisco has not emerged unscathed. Hundreds of businesses have closed permanently. Public schools have yet to reopen, and the city faces a huge budget deficit. Many residents moved away during the pandemic.
Although life has now returned to city streets, they are nowhere near as full as before the pandemic, when throngs of office workers and tourists crammed sidewalks. Ridership on city buses has plummeted, along with revenues.
Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s public health director, largely shaped the city’s response to the health crisis.
Breed, always interested in science, studied chemistry before she switched to political science at UC Davis. She grew up in a San Francisco housing project where deadly gun violence was common. During an UC San Francisco online forum in September, she said she had often thought about what steps might have been taken decades ago to save lives in the projects.
When the coronavirus hit Wuhan, China, she said, she viewed it as “way over there.” That changed when Colfax and the city’s health officer came to her City Hall office this year and warned the virus could overwhelm the city’s hospitals, which might have to turn away the sick.
That warning “stopped me in my tracks,” Breed said. She knew that shutting down would hurt the economy and worsen economic disparities, but she said she felt as though there were no other choice. She said she asked herself what she would want her mayor to do. Saving lives was the answer.
One day early in the pandemic, she walked into a grocery store and quickly backed out. People were not following the health guidelines. “I called Dr. Colfax and said we need to shut this grocery store down,” she recalled.
Colfax proved adept at messaging. During the first few months of the pandemic, Colfax, Breed and other city officials held news conferences online three times a week. Colfax was usually grim. He warned the virus could quickly spin out of control.
The public health director began his summations by citing the number of people infected and dead. In a funereal voice, he directed his statement to the families of the dead and told them of his sorrow. He warned of grave consequences if the health restrictions were not followed. He worried aloud in July that San Francisco could become the next New York City, Houston or Florida. San Francisco remained in a “very vulnerable situation,” he said.
Wachter remembers watching some of the “very scary” news conferences and wondering whether Colfax had data he lacked.
Colfax said during the UC San Francisco forum that he had to tell San Franciscans of the possibilities, even if the models represented the worst case, particularly as people grew tired of the restrictions.
“When things are going a little sour,” Wachter said later in an interview, “his job is to scare the s— out of people.”
For her part, Breed hasn’t hesitated to scold. After more than 1,000 people gathered at Ocean Beach early in September for a Burning Man celebration, the mayor took to Twitter and castigated the assemblage, calling it “absolutely reckless and selfish.”
If Breed and Colfax “erred on the side of being a little conservative, I think history will treat them kindly, “ Wachter said. “With the current trajectory, you are not going to hear anybody say they should have opened the restaurants sooner. They are going to say they saved lives.”
Police also helped enforce the health rules. When long lines sprang up outside a store, officers arrived to ensure people were distancing and wearing masks. Police patrolled the parks on the weekends and handed out masks. Citations were issued to repeat offenders, but for the most part people complied after being warned.
San Francisco rapidly expanded coronavirus tests months ago, making the city a leader nationally in testing. It also worked with UC San Francisco to build a strong contact tracing program and devoted time and resources to the city’s heavily Latino Mission District, a source of many of the infections.
John Swartzberg, a UC Berkeley infectious disease expert, said San Francisco benefited from the bonds forged among Bay Area health officers and between the city and its public health officials during the AIDS epidemic.
“The experience with AIDS in San Francisco did a tremendous amount to shape the public health culture in San Francisco,” he said. “The relationship between S.F. General [Hospital] and the community was just a beautiful thing to behold. The trust it engendered had a halo effect that spilled over to the entire city.”
Comparing Los Angeles’ pandemic experience with San Francisco’s, Wachter wondered aloud whether the difference stemmed from “leadership or the people.” He suspects that people in San Francisco tended to adhere to the health rules more than in other places. The Bay Area is “very diverse,” he said, “but not particularly diverse politically.”
The limitations on reopening drew criticism from gym owners and the Catholic archdiocese, but in San Francisco “there is a general appreciation by the public of the importance of science,” Wachter said, “and not widespread skepticism when leaders say these are the right things to do to save people’s lives.”
Luck also mattered.
Newlyweds Tulika Jha and Mike Borden take in the sunset at an overlook area beside the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Aug. 22. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Given San Francisco’s high density and international travel from Asia and Europe, “this thing could have exploded even before anybody locked down,” he said.
During a warm day last week, city residents walking beside the bay on the Embarcadero generally praised the city’s handling of the pandemic, although some complained of the threat of disease from homeless encampments and bemoaned the fact that public schools remained closed.
Cynthia Roberts, 66, an acting coach, worried that the city’s progress represented a mere lull in the pandemic.
“Now that we are going to open up, we may have problems,” she said.


latimes--2020-10-24--Santa Ana winds will raise red flags on land and big waves off the coast, forecasters say

Strong , gusty Santa Ana winds expected to develop Sunday night will raise fire weather concerns on land and potentially some big waves off the Southern California coast , the National Weather Service said .
The prospect of the strongest , most widespread Santa Ana winds so far this season has led to the issuance of red flag fire warnings , most of which take effect in the early hours of Monday morning .
Super-dry air will drive relative humidity down to the single digits , causing critical fire conditions late Sunday night through Tuesday .
Fuels are extremely dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so any new fires that start will grow rapidly and exhibit extreme fire behavior .
High-wind warnings and advisories , as well as fire weather watches , go into effect Sunday and Monday .
Because of cold air associated with this event , the Antelope Valley could see its first freeze of the season in the early hours of Monday .
Cool Santa Anas such as this one usually produce stronger winds and affect more of the coastal waters .
Forecasters predict a 50 % to 60 % chance of gale-force northeast winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Santa Monica , out to the Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands , through the San Pedro Channel and out to Catalina Island .
A gale watch has been issued for these areas through Monday afternoon .
Dangerous conditions are likely for the harbors on Catalina and Santa Cruz , the weather service said .
Steep , short-period wind waves between 4 and 6 feet are possible .
Northwest winds at an advisory level for small craft may develop in some outer waters Monday night into Tuesday .
Light offshore flow will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warming trend , but nights will be cool , especially inland , where there will be a chance of frost .

Strong, gusty Santa Ana winds expected to develop Sunday night will raise fire weather concerns on land and potentially some big waves off the Southern California coast, the National Weather Service said.
The prospect of the strongest, most widespread Santa Ana winds so far this season has led to the issuance of red flag fire warnings, most of which take effect in the early hours of Monday morning. Super-dry air will drive relative humidity down to the single digits, causing critical fire conditions late Sunday night through Tuesday. Fuels are extremely dry after months with virtually zero rain, so any new fires that start will grow rapidly and exhibit extreme fire behavior.
High-wind warnings and advisories, as well as fire weather watches, go into effect Sunday and Monday. Because of cold air associated with this event, the Antelope Valley could see its first freeze of the season in the early hours of Monday.
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Cool Santa Anas such as this one usually produce stronger winds and affect more of the coastal waters.
Forecasters predict a 50% to 60% chance of gale-force northeast winds developing Sunday night through Monday from Ventura to Santa Monica, out to the Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands, through the San Pedro Channel and out to Catalina Island. A gale watch has been issued for these areas through Monday afternoon.
Dangerous conditions are likely for the harbors on Catalina and Santa Cruz, the weather service said. Steep, short-period wind waves between 4 and 6 feet are possible.
This strong Santa Ana is expected to affect the coastal waters in addition to elevating the fire danger on land. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Northwest winds at an advisory level for small craft may develop in some outer waters Monday night into Tuesday.
Light offshore flow will continue through the rest of the week with a warming trend, but nights will be cool, especially inland, where there will be a chance of frost.


latimes--2020-10-24--California surpasses 900,000 coronavirus cases; L.A. County approaches 300,000

The number of California ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 900,000 on Saturday , with total related deaths topping more than 17,300 , public health officials reported .
Across the state ’ s 58 counties , Los Angeles County remains by far the hardest hit , with nearly 300,000 cases and 6,989 deaths .
On Saturday , the L.A. County Department of Public Health confirmed 2,173 new cases and 17 new deaths .
“ As we move closer to the tragic milestone of 7,000 deaths in L.A. County and are seeing an increase in cases , please remember the choices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant impact on whether we slow the spread of the virus , ” public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a press release .
“ The virus doesn ’ t take a break for parties or celebrations.
” Of the 17 new deaths reported in L.A. County , the department said 16 were over the age of 50 and most had underlying health conditions .
The one under-50 fatality also had underlying health problems , the department said .
The department said 29 % of the 770 people now hospitalized with COVID-19 are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Statewide , the total number of confirmed cases reached 901,152 on Saturday , with a total of 17,323 related deaths , according to state health officials .
But the number of new cases statewide has plateaued and remains near levels seen in the spring , officials said .
The novel virus is considered widespread in 12 counties that together comprise 42 % of California ’ s population .
Other hard-hit counties include : Riverside , with 65,757 cases and 1,279 deaths ; San Bernardino with 62,353 cases and more than 1,000 deaths ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; San Diego with nearly 54,000 cases and 867 deaths ; Kern with nearly 34,000 cases and 416 deaths ; Fresno with 30,590 case and 436 deaths ; Sacramento with 25,264 cases and 484 deaths .
In the spring and summer , the state saw a surge in cases following Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s decision to rapidly lift shutdown restrictions , prompting another shutdown .
In late August , the governor introduced what he called “ more stubborn ” reopening rules , with a data-based four-tier system — Tier 1 indicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimal transmission .
The plan hinged on counties demonstrating success in slowing the virus before business and group activities were allowed to resume .
Health experts have credited the tiered system with allowing California to open some segments of its economy without experiencing a spike in deaths comparable to that seen earlier this year .
California has managed to avoid what health officials call a nationwide “ third wave ” of infections , but they worry about the temptations of social gatherings amid the approach of Halloween and Thanksgiving .
The nationwide death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 223,000 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
It has claimed the most lives in New York state , which has seen more than 33,000 fatal infections .

The number of California’s confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 900,000 on Saturday, with total related deaths topping more than 17,300, public health officials reported.
Across the state’s 58 counties, Los Angeles County remains by far the hardest hit, with nearly 300,000 cases and 6,989 deaths. On Saturday, the L.A. County Department of Public Health confirmed 2,173 new cases and 17 new deaths.
“As we move closer to the tragic milestone of 7,000 deaths in L.A. County and are seeing an increase in cases, please remember the choices we each make every day have a significant impact on whether we slow the spread of the virus,” public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a press release. “The virus doesn’t take a break for parties or celebrations.”
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Of the 17 new deaths reported in L.A. County, the department said 16 were over the age of 50 and most had underlying health conditions. The one under-50 fatality also had underlying health problems, the department said. The department said 29% of the 770 people now hospitalized with COVID-19 are being treated in intensive care units.
Statewide, the total number of confirmed cases reached 901,152 on Saturday, with a total of 17,323 related deaths, according to state health officials. But the number of new cases statewide has plateaued and remains near levels seen in the spring, officials said.
The novel virus is considered widespread in 12 counties that together comprise 42% of California’s population. Other hard-hit counties include: Riverside, with 65,757 cases and 1,279 deaths; San Bernardino with 62,353 cases and more than 1,000 deaths; Orange with 58,326 cases and 1,444 deaths; San Diego with nearly 54,000 cases and 867 deaths; Kern with nearly 34,000 cases and 416 deaths; Fresno with 30,590 case and 436 deaths; Sacramento with 25,264 cases and 484 deaths.
In the spring and summer, the state saw a surge in cases following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to rapidly lift shutdown restrictions, prompting another shutdown. In late August, the governor introduced what he called “more stubborn” reopening rules, with a data-based four-tier system — Tier 1 indicated widespread transmission, while Tier 4 meant minimal transmission. The plan hinged on counties demonstrating success in slowing the virus before business and group activities were allowed to resume.
Health experts have credited the tiered system with allowing California to open some segments of its economy without experiencing a spike in deaths comparable to that seen earlier this year. California has managed to avoid what health officials call a nationwide “third wave” of infections, but they worry about the temptations of social gatherings amid the approach of Halloween and Thanksgiving.
The nationwide death toll of COVID-19 is now more than 223,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has claimed the most lives in New York state, which has seen more than 33,000 fatal infections.


latimes--2020-10-25--L.A. County reports 830 coronavirus cases and 4 deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 830 new coronavirus cases and four related deaths .
The lower number of deaths reflects weekend reporting delays , officials said ; case numbers are also usually lower on the weekends because not all laboratories submit reports .
There have now been nearly 300,000 cases of the virus in L.A. County , and nearly 7,000 people have died .
Statewide , California surpassed 900,000 confirmed cases of the virus Saturday , and more than 17,300 people have died .
Hospitalizations have ticked upward slightly in L.A. , with the most recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an increase of 8 % , according to data from the Department of Public health .
There were 785 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals as of Friday , an increase of about 100 compared with earlier in the month but still far below the more than 2,200 patients reported at the peak of the crisis in mid-July .
The proportion of tests coming back positive also has increased from earlier in the month , with the seven-day average up from 3 % to 3.4 % .
Experts say an increase in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In July , about 8 % of tests were coming back positive .
When it comes to reopening business sectors , Los Angeles remains in the most restrictive purple tier of the state ’ s four-phase reopening plan , meaning that risk of transmission of the virus remains widespread and many businesses must remain closed for indoor services .
Although its positivity rate qualifies L.A. to move into a less restrictive reopening tier — as does the rate of positive tests in its most disadvantaged neighborhoods at 5.9 % — the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 residents remains too high at 7.6 .
In order for the county to move into the less restrictive red tier , it must report an adjusted daily average of no more than 7 cases per 100,000 residents .
The number of daily confirmed coronavirus infections in L.A. County swelled significantly last week , reaching 3,600 Thursday and topping 2,000 Friday and Saturday , but officials said the increase was the result of a sizable backlog in the reporting of test results because of technical glitches .

Jon, who gave only his first name, wears a full mask goes through his ballot at an in-person early voting center at the Azusa Women’s Club on Saturday. In L.A. County, there have now been nearly 300,000 cases of the coronavirus and nearly 7,000 deaths.
Los Angeles County public health officials confirmed Monday the county has recorded 7,000 COVID-19 deaths and more than 300,000 cases.
On Monday, there 861 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths, which followed Sunday’s report of 830 new cases and four related fatalities.
The lower number of deaths reflects weekend reporting delays, officials said; case numbers are also usually lower on the weekends because not all laboratories submit reports.
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The official numbers for the county infections is 300,614. Statewide, California surpassed 900,000 confirmed cases of the virus Saturday, and more than 17,300 people have died.
Hospitalizations have ticked upward slightly in L.A., with the most recent three-day average reported by the county representing an increase of 8%, according to data from the Department of Public health. There were 785 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals as of Friday, an increase of about 100 compared with earlier in the month but still far below the more than 2,200 patients reported at the peak of the crisis in mid-July.
The proportion of tests coming back positive also has increased from earlier in the month, with the seven-day average up from 3% to 3.4%. Experts say an increase in the positivity rate can indicate increased community transmission. In July, about 8% of tests were coming back positive.
When it comes to reopening business sectors, Los Angeles remains in the most restrictive purple tier of the state’s four-phase reopening plan, meaning that risk of transmission of the virus remains widespread and many businesses must remain closed for indoor services.
Although its positivity rate qualifies L.A. to move into a less restrictive reopening tier — as does the rate of positive tests in its most disadvantaged neighborhoods at 5.9% — the county’s adjusted rate of cases per 100,000 residents remains too high at 7.6. In order for the county to move into the less restrictive red tier, it must report an adjusted daily average of no more than 7 cases per 100,000 residents.
The number of daily confirmed coronavirus infections in L.A. County swelled significantly last week, reaching 3,600 Thursday and topping 2,000 Friday and Saturday, but officials said the increase was the result of a sizable backlog in the reporting of test results because of technical glitches.
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Staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-25--Los Angeles County emergency officials warn of fire conditions in the coming days

An abrupt change from cool fall weather to extreme dry winds over the next couple of days has Los Angeles County emergency management officials sounding the alarm about potential wildfires and power outages .
“ We have had a week of pretty cool weather , ” said Kevin McGowan , director of L.A. County ’ s Office of Emergency Management .
“ Starting at midnight tonight that ’ s going to flip 180 degrees .
… We want people to be prepared.
” The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty good Santa Ana event , ” said Mike Wofford , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Winds gusts in the mountains could reach 70 mph to 80 mph , “ but it ’ s going to be windy down in the valleys as well , ” Wofford said .
Humidity will drop into the single digits .
“ We have 70 % , 80 % , 90 % , 100 % humidity now , ” Wooford said .
“ Starting tomorrow , it will be just the opposite.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous fire conditions , he added .
“ Use common sense .
It ’ s going to be really dry , ” Wooford said .
“ The fuels are ready to burn.
” The warning comes as Pacific Gas and Electric said it would cut power to nearly 1 million people in Northern and Central California on Sunday amid dangerous fire weather .
About 65,000 Southern California Edison customers in Los Angeles , Riverside , Orange , Kern , San Bernardino and Ventura counties have also been notified that they are under consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ron Gales , spokesman for the company .
The preemptive shutoffs come out of concern that wind can damage equipment , creating a spark that might ignite brush and lead to a wildfire .
“ We understand how important it is for all our customers and their families to have access to electricity at home during this health crisis , ” Gales said .
“ We are making every effort to reduce the number and length of shutoffs .
We use these outages only as required to reduce the risk of wildfires.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents who are dependent on electricity to power medical devices to prepare for possible outages .
McGowan urged residents to prepare and plan ahead for possible evacuations prompted by wildfires — including by keeping mobile phones charged and nearby to receive emergency alerts throughout the night and by parking vehicles so they face the street , to avoid having to back out .
People should also sign up for local emergency notification systems , he said .
The need to plan ahead is even more acute because of coronavirus precautions , McGowan said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large shelters , ” he said .
“ We ’ re trying to avoid doing that so we don ’ t create undue risk for COVID-19 exposure.
” County officials encouraged residents in fire-prone areas to reach out to family and friends elsewhere to plan for possible evacuations .
Additional tips for planning ahead can be found on L.A. County ’ s emergency-preparedness website .

An abrupt change from cool fall weather to extreme dry winds over the next couple of days has Los Angeles County emergency management officials sounding the alarm about potential wildfires and power outages.
“We have had a week of pretty cool weather,” said Kevin McGowan, director of L.A. County’s Office of Emergency Management. “Starting at midnight tonight that’s going to flip 180 degrees. … We want people to be prepared.”
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon.
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“It’s going to be a pretty good Santa Ana event,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Winds gusts in the mountains could reach 70 mph to 80 mph, “but it’s going to be windy down in the valleys as well,” Wofford said. Humidity will drop into the single digits.
“We have 70%, 80%, 90%, 100% humidity now,” Wooford said. “Starting tomorrow, it will be just the opposite.”
That combination sets the stage for dangerous fire conditions, he added.
“Use common sense. It’s going to be really dry,” Wooford said. “The fuels are ready to burn.”
The warning comes as Pacific Gas and Electric said it would cut power to nearly 1 million people in Northern and Central California on Sunday amid dangerous fire weather.
About 71,000 Southern California Edison customers in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, Kern, San Bernardino and Ventura counties have also been notified that they are under consideration for possible public safety power shutoffs, said Ron Gales, spokesman for the company. The preemptive shutoffs come out of concern that wind can damage equipment, creating a spark that might ignite brush and lead to a wildfire.
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“We understand how important it is for all our customers and their families to have access to electricity at home during this health crisis,” Gales said. “We are making every effort to reduce the number and length of shutoffs. We use these outages only as required to reduce the risk of wildfires.”
Police in Simi Valley also warned residents who are dependent on electricity to power medical devices to prepare for possible outages.
McGowan urged residents to prepare and plan ahead for possible evacuations prompted by wildfires — including by keeping mobile phones charged and nearby to receive emergency alerts throughout the night and by parking vehicles so they face the street, to avoid having to back out. People should also sign up for local emergency notification systems, he said.
The need to plan ahead is even more acute because of coronavirus precautions, McGowan said.
“Traditionally we evacuate residents to large shelters,” he said. “We’re trying to avoid doing that so we don’t create undue risk for COVID-19 exposure.”
County officials encouraged residents in fire-prone areas to reach out to family and friends elsewhere to plan for possible evacuations. Additional tips for planning ahead can be found on L.A. County’s emergency-preparedness website.


latimes--2020-10-25--California braces for most dangerous fire weather of the season; PG&E already cutting off power to c

California braces for most dangerous fire weather of the season; PG&E already cutting off power to customers

Pacific Gas and Electric will cut power to nearly 1 million people in Northern and Central California on Sunday amid conditions forecasters are describing as the most dangerous fire weather of the season .
The utility institutes the so-called public safety power shutoffs ahead of certain weather conditions out of concern that a gust of wind could snap off a tree branch or damage a piece of equipment , creating a spark that could ignite dry brush and spread into a wildfire .
A weather system is expected to impart strong and dry north-northeast winds through the mountain passes up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diablo winds in Northern California and Santa Ana winds in the southern part of the state .
Winds had already started to pick up in some northern areas Sunday afternoon .
They were expected to become most widespread and intense Sunday evening and overnight into Monday , though critical conditions were expected to last well into Tuesday .
“ It ’ s definitely the strongest wind event of this fire season and probably the lowest humidity as well , ” said Duane Dykema , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most dangerous and critical conditions we ’ ve seen this fire season.
” PG & E began shutting off power to 360,687 customers in portions of 36 Northern California counties about 10 a.m. Sunday , starting with those in the Northern Sierra region , the utility said in a news release .
That amounts to more than 900,000 people , assuming each customer represents two to three people .
Shutoffs were expected to continue through Monday into the late evening .
PG & E initially said it might cut power to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.1 million people , but later said a combination of favorable changes in the weather forecast enabled it to avoid some shutoffs .
The number of customers who were to lose power in Alameda County , for example , was reduced by more than half , from a projected 39,401 Saturday to 16,329 Sunday .
Power is expected to be restored within 12 hours after the winds subside between Monday and Tuesday morning , PG & E said .
The utility said that Nevada County would see the most customers lose power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 38,462 ; Tuolumne County with 30,327 ; Shasta County with 24,746 ; and Sonoma County with 23,464 .
PG & E ’ s equipment has already been blamed for starting some of the worst wildfires in state history , including the Camp fire , for which PG & E pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter .
The utility has also agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle damage claims stemming from a series of deadly fires sparked by its power lines between 2015 and 2018 .
Most recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were looking at its equipment as a possible cause of the Zogg fire that started last month in Shasta County , killing four people and burning more than 56,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada Mountains .
The National Weather Service has issued red-flag warnings for large swaths of California , including all of Los Angeles and Ventura counties except for the Antelope Valley , as well as the entire Bay Area .
The advisory means forecasters have high confidence that dangerous fire conditions will be in place .
Winds were already starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay Mountains above 2,000 feet , with gusts of 30 to 40 mph , Dykema said .
They were expected to intensify through the afternoon and evening and peak overnight into Monday , with gusts of up to 70 mph possible in mountainous areas .
A much drier air mass was also moving in .
Although the Bay Area recorded a relative humidity of about 100 % Sunday morning , the winds were expected to cause that value to plummet throughout the afternoon and overnight , when humidity values usually increase , Dykema @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll see relative humidity in the single digits , between 5 and 10 % , which is extremely low , ” he said .
Forecasters say the weather shift is a result of a cold low-pressure system high in the atmosphere that ’ s moving down into the Great Basin , causing a change in air pressure that generates the winds .
“ It ’ s kind of the typical weather setup that produces these types of events in the autumn months , ” Dykema said .
Unlike onshore winds , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ocean over the land , Diablo and Santa Ana winds originate inland , gaining speed , warming up and drying out as they move from higher to lower elevations and squeeze through narrow canyons and passes .
The red-flag warnings expire Tuesday morning in Northern California and Tuesday afternoon in Southern California , although they might be extended to Tuesday afternoon in Northern California as well , the weather service said .
In Southern California , the winds were expected to pick up late Sunday night in the mountains and spread down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-dawn hours , blowing most strongly between 4 a.m. and noon Monday , said Joe Sirard , meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Another round of winds was expected Monday night into Tuesday , he said .
Isolated gusts of up to 80 mph were possible in mountain areas , and gusts of 50 to 60 mph were expected in valley and coastal areas , he said .
“ So if any wildfires do break out , there could be a rapid rate of spread and downwind spotting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It could spread very rapidly and be exceptionally dangerous to control.
” The state has already seen an early start to a record-breaking fire season , with more than 4 million acres burned , 31 people killed and more than 8,200 structures destroyed over the last three months .
Previously , California ’ s worst year of fire was 2018 , when more than 1.8 million acres burned and more than 100 people were killed , according to the National Interagency Coordination Center .
Lightning in August ignited many of California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change has also contributed to the conflagrations .
It was the hottest August on record in the state , and trees and brush were already abnormally combustible after much of the state saw exceptionally dry conditions last winter .
The winds forecast to sweep through the region could take down tree limbs and power lines and affect travel on highways , especially for those in high-profile vehicles , Sirard said .
“ It ’ s by far the strongest Santa Ana event we ’ ve had in 2020 , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity that could spark a fire , and those in fire-prone areas are advised to assemble emergency supply kits and familiarize themselves with evacuation routes .
Temperatures will remain cool through the wind event , with highs in the 70s along the coastal plain , Sirard said .
In fact , the cold , dry air mass and clear skies mean that wind-sheltered areas will become chilly at night , with a freeze watch in effect from late Sunday through Monday morning for the Antelope Valley , where temperatures could drop below 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there could possibly fall into the teens , Sirard said .
“ People that have sensitive plants should take steps now to protect the tender plants from the cold , ” he said .

Pacific Gas and Electric began cutting power to nearly 1 million people in Northern and Central California on Sunday amid what forecasters described as the most dangerous fire weather of the season.
The utility institutes the so-called “public safety power shutoffs” ahead of certain weather conditions out of concern that a gust of wind could snap off a tree branch or damage a piece of equipment, creating a spark that could ignite dry brush and spread into a wildfire.
A weather system is expected to bring strong, dry, north-northeast winds through the mountain passes up and down California — winds referred to as Diablos in Northern California and Santa Anas in the southern part of the state. Winds started to pick up in some northern areas Sunday afternoon and were expected to become most widespread and intense overnight into Monday, though critical conditions were expected to last well into Tuesday.
“It’s definitely the strongest wind event of this fire season and probably the lowest humidity as well,” said Duane Dykema, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. “So overall, these are the most dangerous and critical conditions we’ve seen this fire season.”
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By Sunday evening, PG&E had shut off power to about 225,000 customers and planned to cut electricity to roughly 136,000 more through the night, utility representatives said. That amounts to more than 900,000 people, assuming that each customer account represents two to three. Shutoffs were expected to continue through Monday into the late evening.
PG&E initially said it might cut power to more than 460,000 customers, or more than 1.1 million people, but later said a combination of favorable changes in the weather forecast enabled it to avoid some shutoffs. The number of customers who were to lose power in Alameda County, for example, was reduced by more than half, from a projected 39,401 Saturday to 16,329 Sunday.
Power is expected to be restored within 12 hours after the winds subside between Monday and Tuesday morning, PG&E said.
The utility said Nevada County would have the most customers with outages, 40,246, followed by El Dorado County, 38,462; Tuolumne, 30,327; Shasta, 24,746; and Sonoma, 23,464.
PG&E’s equipment has already been blamed for starting some of the worst wildfires in state history, including the 2018 Camp fire, which led to the utility pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. PG&E has also agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle damage claims stemming from a series of deadly fires sparked by its power lines between 2015 and 2018.
Most recently, PG&E said California investigators were looking at its equipment as a possible cause of the Zogg fire that started last month in Shasta County, killing four people and burning more than 56,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for large swaths of California, including all of Los Angeles and Ventura counties except for the Antelope Valley, as well as the entire Bay Area. The advisory means forecasters have high confidence that dangerous fire conditions will be in place.
The red flag warnings expire Tuesday afternoon in Southern California and Tuesday morning in Northern California, although they might be extended to the afternoon in the North, the weather service said.
Winds picked up Sunday afternoon in the North Bay Mountains above 2,000 feet, with gusts of 30 mph to 40 mph, Dykema said. They were expected to intensify through the afternoon and evening and peak overnight into Monday, with gusts of up to 70 mph possible in mountainous areas.
A much drier air mass was also moving in. Although the Bay Area recorded relative humidity of about 100% Sunday morning, the winds were expected to cause that value to plummet throughout the afternoon and overnight, when humidity values usually increase, Dykema said.
“By tomorrow, we’ll see relative humidity in the single digits, between 5% and 10%, which is extremely low,” he said.
Forecasters say the weather shift is a result of a cold low-pressure system high in the atmosphere that’s moving down into the Great Basin, causing a change in air pressure that generates winds.
“It’s kind of the typical weather setup that produces these types of events in the autumn months,” Dykema said.
Unlike onshore winds, which bring in moisture as they blow from the ocean over the land, Diablo and Santa Ana winds originate inland, gaining speed, warming up and drying out as they move from higher to lower elevations and squeeze through narrow canyons and passes.
In Southern California, the winds were expected to pick up late Sunday night in the mountains and spread down to the valleys and coast through the pre-dawn hours, blowing most strongly between 4 a.m. and noon Monday, said Joe Sirard, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Another round of winds was expected Monday night into Tuesday, he said.
Isolated gusts of up to 80 mph were possible in mountain areas, and gusts of 50 mph to 60 mph were expected in valley and coastal areas, he said.
“So if any wildfires do break out, there could be a rapid rate of spread and downwind spotting for a significant distance,” Sirard said. “It could spread very rapidly and be exceptionally dangerous to control.”
The state has already seen an early start to a record-breaking fire season, with more than 4 million acres burned, 31 people killed and more than 8,200 structures destroyed over the last three months.
Previously, California’s worst year of fire was 2018, when more than 1.8 million acres burned and more than 100 people were killed, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.
Lightning in August ignited many of California’s biggest blazes, but scientists say climate change has also contributed to the conflagrations. It was the hottest August on record in the state, and trees and brush were already abnormally combustible after much of the state saw exceptionally dry conditions last winter.
The winds forecast to sweep through the region could take down tree limbs and power lines and affect travel on highways, especially for those in high-profile vehicles, Sirard said.
“It’s by far the strongest Santa Ana event we’ve had in 2020,” he said.
People are cautioned to avoid any activity that could spark a fire, and those in fire-prone areas are advised to assemble emergency supply kits and familiarize themselves with evacuation routes.
Temperatures will remain cool through the wind event, with highs in the 70s along the coastal plain, Sirard said.
In fact, the cold, dry air mass and clear skies mean that wind-sheltered areas will become chilly at night, with a freeze watch in effect from late Sunday through Monday morning for the Antelope Valley, where temperatures could drop below 26 degrees. By Tuesday morning, temperatures there could possibly fall into the teens, Sirard said.
“People that have sensitive plants should take steps now to protect the tender plants from the cold,” he said.