Last January, fires raged in Los Angeles. That’s not uncommon. But hurricane-force winds and the driest winter in 150 years contributed to a horrifically rare event, the worst natural disaster in the county’s history. Due to technical glitches, the entire county received evacuation orders. A week or two later, however, the smoke was gone and for the vast majority of residents, life was the same. Over Christmas, the weather report said it would snow in Park City. Instead, it rained up to ten t...

Last January, fires raged in Los Angeles. That’s not uncommon. But hurricane-force winds and the driest winter in 150 years contributed to a horrifically rare event, the worst natural disaster in the county’s history. Due to technical glitches, the entire county received evacuation orders. A week or two later, however, the smoke was gone and for the vast majority of residents, life was the same. Over Christmas, the weather report said it would snow in Park City. Instead, it rained up to ten t...