Right after the Dust Bowl, in the Inland Empire, state and farmers planted grapes vines (bushes) to protect the soil and control dust. Dairy farmers and hay and corn farmers planted beautiful eucalyptus trees to curb the damaged caused by strong winds, called Santa Ana winds, which blows during the fall season. Over the period these gorgeous eucalyptus trees grew tall and thick with leaves and acted as barriers against strong and howling winds.

Unfortunately, the land has become expensive and the concentration of thousands of cows, located in a small area, impacted the environment negatively. The dairy farmers started selling the land and developers started the housing boom in the Inland Empire until the sub-prime debacle.

Developers started preparing land for new expensive homes and uprooted grapes bushes and chopped off the beautiful tall eucalyptus trees without any consideration. It worked out for some areas where they were able to put up homes and planted trees. It will take long time for these trees to reach the heights of Eucalyptus trees. In some areas they chopped up the trees and started preparing land without planting trees or bushes resulting disaster today.

Winds started kicking sometime last night and picked up speed. It is howling trying to start the Halloween early this year. So much dust is in the air now that you can hardly see the sky. Visibility is reduced to almost zero at times and driving on many of the streets in Norco, Corona, Mira Loma, Chino Valley and Corona Valley becoming impossible. At about 9:30 am, I was trying to make my way on Hemner Ave, which turns into Milliken Ave after crossing Limonite towards Rancho Cucamonga. The visibility at times was zero. Many cars and pickup trucks were stranded. I prayed as I drove nervously through the street to get away. I knew I would run into an accident anytime. It reminded me of the big dust storm some years ago, north of the Grapevine, causing a major multiple-car and semi-trucks pile-up. With the grace of God, I made it safely and returned home in Corona Valley.

As I was driving home, I was wondering how the counties and cities allowed these developers to chop off the Eucalyptus trees and uprooted the grapevines without at least replacing them in kind.

Imam Ali Siddiqui lives in Corona Valley, an unincorporated subdivision in the Western Riverside County. He is the President of California Muslim Institute and member of Corona-Norco Interfaith Association. Contact him at: Siddiqui@aol.com; 951-734-4599