The author begins this section with a true story of one family's ordeal in the San Gabriel Mountains. Summarize what the Genofiles go through during a significant rain and lightning storm.

The Genofile family lives in the San Gabriel Mountains. During a particularly intense storm, they look out a back window and see a black mass tumbling down the mountain. A debris flow crashes into their house, filling the rooms with mud, water, and rocks. Boulders land on their roof, and cars which had been pushed down by the flow surround their house. The family survives and later rebuilds on their property.