Bay Area: "Cascading Catastrophes"

SF on Wednesday: it's not the fog. (Chron)

We alluded to Northern California's perfect storm of problems--wildfires, COVID-19, homelessness, unemployment, crime, etc.--two days ago. The Chronicle describes how State and local governments are overwhelmed:

Firefighters may face increased risk of contracting the coronavirus while living and working in close quarters on the front lines. In hospitals and evacuation shelters across the region, people suffering smoke exposure may have symptoms that could be confused for COVID-19, complicating care and draining resources.

“These are all cascading catastrophes. We’re looking at the consequences of these overlapping emergencies,” said Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer. “We had been concerned there might be a fire here or there. And now we’re dealing with fires everywhere. And while we’re still seeing all this viral transmission.”

And on top of it all, everyone’s exhausted...

Adding to the constant chaos [not a hyperbolic description of the way things are, per Democratic VP Nominee Kamala Harris] is the confusion from government officials: [bold added]

In a pandemic, people are told that outdoor activities are better than inside. But with smoke choking the region, everyone’s being told to stay inside now. People evacuated from their homes often are urged to stay with friends or relatives if they can. But that’s not necessarily a wise choice now, either, when the pandemic message is to avoid others.

Don't count on the government to save us or our homes. It's paralyzed by indecision and is spewing conflicting advice in all directions. It also lacks resources; across Northern California Cal Fire is hoping the fires burn themselves out.

When the crises are over, a lot of jobs won't be coming back, and neither will the people who fled "temporarily".