Santa Clara County Local Resilience News Articles and Digest

Resilience Government State of California

With State Approval, Rancho Palos Verdes to Fast-Track Landslide Mitigation

02/26/2024
State officials determined that Rancho Palos Verdes can utilize an already-established state of emergency to expedite landslide stabilization efforts as the crisis escalates.

From The Mercury News...

Resilience Community Service & Support

Los Gatos Resident Helps Light Up Neighbors During Power Outages

02/20/2024
While Bay Area residents have criticized PG&E for not being better prepared for power outages, Los Gatos residents are increasingly turning to their community for help. Enter Mark Zhang, a “prepper” of sorts who collects supplies in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.

From Mountain View Voice...

Resilience City of Palo Alto

Palo Alto Looks to Drop All-Electric Requirement for New Buildings

02/17/2024
When Palo Alto changed its building code in 2022 to require that every new building be all-electric, city leaders and local environmentalists lauded it as key to meeting their sustainability goals.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience State of California

If Done Correctly, Californians Can Save on Utility Bills by Creating Income-Based Charges

02/06/2024
California’s utility regulators are exploring energy bill reforms that would structure charges based on household income. If done correctly, the change shift the cost for maintaining the grid to higher earners who can afford it.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Environment Water Resilience

The Terrifying Forces That Created a California Monster Storm

02/05/2024
The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Water Resilience

L.A.’s Flood-Control System Survived Epic Storm. But It’s Losing the Battle With Climate Change

02/05/2024
Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

From SF Gate...

Public Safety Resilience

New USGS Map Shows California Is at High Risk for Damaging Earthquakes

01/24/2024
An updated earthquake hazard map from USGS shows a high shaking risk in California.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Resilience

‘Thousand-Year Storm’ Leaves San Diego Reeling From Punishing Rainfall, Floods

01/23/2024
Hundreds of San Diego homes and businesses were damaged or ruined in devastating floods after punishing rainfall fell on Jan. 22.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience State of California

350,000 Californians Are on the FAIR Plan, the Last Resort for Fire Insurance. Now What?

01/22/2024
As the FAIR Plan writes more fire-insurance policies, homeowners complain about poor service, rising costs and threats of getting kicked off.

From Morgan Hill Times...

History Resilience City of Morgan Hill

Survival and Triumph

01/17/2024
Image for display with article titled Holocaust Survivor Leon Malmed Shares His Story with Morgan Hill

The only memory Leon Malmed, 86, has of his parents was a tragic moment in July 1942, when French police — acting under orders of the country’s Nazi German occupiers — showed up at his family’s home to arrest the adults for being Jewish. It was also the last time that Malmed, who was just barely 4 years old, would ever see his parents.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Resilience

The 1994 Northridge Quake Was a Shock. Here’s Why the Next One Won’t Be

01/16/2024
Our understanding and preparedness have come a long way since Southern California’s magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 1994. We’re still learning from that destructive temblor.

From EdSource...

Education Families & Children Resilience

California Community College Students Helping Peers

01/03/2024
Two-thirds of community college students in California admit to struggling to meet basic needs. The California Community Colleges’ Student Ambassador Program has empowered more than 50 students to act as resource guides to help them.

From Morgan Hill Times...

History Resilience City of Morgan Hill

101-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor to Speak in Morgan Hill

12/28/2023
Image for display with article titled 101-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor to Speak in Morgan Hill

Joseph Alexander, who survived 12 concentration camps during the Holocaust, will speak about his experiences at a rare event in Morgan Hill on Jan. 11.

From Los Altos Town Crier...

Resilience Housing Government City of Los Altos

2023: The Year in Review

12/26/2023
Inevitable change—and what to do about it—challenged Los Altos area residents throughout the past year.

From Monterey Herald...

Public Safety Health Resilience

Smoke Exposure From Controlled Burns Is Raising Concerns

12/26/2023
Prescribed burns, used to limit destructive wildfires, are growing in frequency at California State Parks. But as the smoke drifts into residential areas, it’s easy to see why many Californians are concerned about the health impacts.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience Housing

PG&E Equipment Shortages Leave Hundreds of Housing Units on Hold

12/25/2023
In downtown Oakland, a new 19-story apartment tower with 236 units could be left sitting vacant because of a shortage of components required to connect the building to the electrical grid.

From San Joaquin Valley Sun...

Water Resilience

Bureau of Reclamation Names New Leader for California Region

12/21/2023
The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages federal water such as the Central Valley Project, has a new regional director for the California-Great Basin Region.

From Silicon Valley Voice...

Land Use & Development Resilience City of Santa Clara

Zoning Code Update to Change How Santa Clara Develops

12/20/2023
The Santa Clara City Council voted to approve an update to the city’s zoning dode and passed a resolution to join “United Against Hate.”

From Escalon Times...

Public Safety Resilience State of California

Coordinated Effort Aims to Secure Aircraft for CalFire

12/19/2023
An effort spearheaded by the Newsom administration and congressional leaders resulted in Congress authorizing and accelerating the transfer of seven C-130 aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard to CalFire, expanding California’s firefighting fleet.

From San Jose Spotlight...

Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience County of Santa Clara

‘Dying to Stay Here’: The Plight of Black People in Silicon Valley

12/18/2023
A local economist startled by the staggering disparities pushing African Americans to the margins in Santa Clara County is launching a video and podcast project hoping to bring more attention to the issue.

Santa Clara County Local News: Resilience