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Monterey County Resilience Articles



Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pacific Grove task force picks a consultant to guide the city toward more equity.

In its nearly two years of work, the Pacific Grove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force has made headway in its mission to make the small town a more welcoming place for underrepresented groups – it’s biggest accomplishment to date…

Image caption: The U.S. averages almost 170 heat-related deaths per year, many of them occurring on the job.
How California Protects Workers From Rising Heat

As climate change continues to drive temperatures to new extremes, employees in many jobs face increasing risk of injury and death. Here’s what California is doing to take the heat off workers.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
A local anti-racism course teaches participants how to identify and process the emotional impacts of American racism.

“In some ways,” the American memoirist Mary Karr writes in her popular book on craft, The Art of Memoir, “writing a memoir is knocking yourself out with your own fist, if it’s done right.” That is: Writing a good, honest…

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Washed Away: Pájaro Flood Victims’ Struggle Continues as Shelters Close and Agriculture Jobs are Scarce

In April, 20-year-old Beatriz Lopez returned to the ramshackle apartment she shares with 10 family members on Associated Lane, after spending 45 days in the emergency shelter at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. That shelter closed on May 15 and …

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
New cameras monitor Arroyo Seco landslide

GREENFIELD — The County of Monterey, along with Cal Fire and state geologists are continuing to monitor a landslide in Arroyo Seco west of Greenfield that was discovered last month following the onslaught of winter storms. As part of that …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Supervisors compromise on $728,000 aid package for low-income residents impacted by floods.

After weeks of discussion over what a financial assistance package for flood-stricken Monterey County households should look like, the Board of Supervisors approved a $728,000 disaster relief program for low-income residents who were displaced by flooding or live in flood…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
The Board of Supervisors appears close to agreement on aid to flood victims, but debate remains.

Members of the Board of Supervisors seem to concur that Pajaro and other flood-stricken Monterey County communities are in dire need of aid. Rey Mashayekhi here, noting that while there is agreement, what that aid should look like is still…

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey County Storm Relief Fund exceeds million-dollar mark

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Storm Relief Fund has surpassed $1 million in grants to local nonprofits to support recovery efforts. Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) created the Storm Relief Fund on Jan. 10 to assist communities affected by …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Small growers feeling the pain of winter storms are frustrated at slow-moving government aid.

For grower Javier Zamora, this winter was an unprecedented procession of weather-related misfortune. January’s storms turned nearly half of the roughly 70 growable acres on his farm, JSM Organics in the Pajaro Valley, into “a lake overnight.” Weeks after the…

Image caption: María Ramos hands cash to an Indigenous farm worker in Pajaro after a levee failure flooded the town.
Powered By Locals

When the Pajaro River flooded, nonprofit groups stepped up first to help victims. And they’ll keep helping, even after media coverage fades away.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
FEMA is finally on the ground near Pajaro -- but questions remain over the rollout of flood aid.

On Thursday, April 6, Karen Marcos keeps a watchful eye on her young daughter on the steps of the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building while her husband is inside, seeking relief from the floods that have upended their lives.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Floodplain restoration projects on the Carmel River hold promise to protect against future floods.

David Schmalz here, still alive after kayaking down the last five-or-so miles of the Carmel River on Saturday with two friends, one of whom had to bail early on after her inflatable kayak was punctured. That happened right by a…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pajaro residents return home to face an uphill battle in resettling their old homes.

As cleanup continues in the community of Pajaro, where evacuation orders lifted on Thursday, March 23, the town looks anything but clean. Streets are full of mountains of trash, with broken furniture, refrigerators and toys covered in mud blocking parking…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Gov. Newsom requests federal disaster declaration for Monterey County in wake of March storms.

Gov. Gavin Newsom officially sought federal assistance for Monterey County and other California communities impacted by recent storms and flooding on Tuesday, March 28 by requesting a presidential major disaster declaration from the Biden Administration that would allow resources from…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey County Board of Supervisors adopts eviction moratorium for Pajaro residents.

Pajaro residents who were flooded out of their homes and businesses due to winter storms will not have to worry about facing evictions, after the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 28, voted 5-0 for an eviction moratorium…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Why wasn’t FEMA on the ground in Pajaro after the floods?

In the wake of the flooding that forced more than 2,000 people in Pajaro from their homes and into nearby shelters, motels and even their own cars, on-the-ground federal and state assistance has been conspicuously absent.

Image caption: Detail from a photo tweeted by the city of Watsonville warning residents about the impending atmospheric river storm.
Behind the Levee Breach

On March 10, the Pajaro River flooded the small agricultural town on its banks. Professor Dustin Mulvaney traces the turbulent history of the Central Coast’s second largest watershed.

Voices of Monterey Bay logo LOCAL NEWS
Will the levee ever be replaced?

NEWS By Olga Rosales Salinas The news that the Pájaro River overflowed its levee on Saturday, at about midnight, is really nothing new. This isn’t the first time the river has run amok, inundating the town of Pájaro and causing …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Safety first: Storm-related resources.

As weather continues to impact various parts of Monterey County, resulting in widespread flooding, power outages and other hazards, evacuation warnings and orders remain a fast-changing situation. Please consult the resources below for help. And note that Monterey County and…

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Featured

A smoky blanket of particulate matter hovers over San Francisco’s skyline.
Getting Acquainted With AQI
Learn what's getting into Californians’ lungs and why it matters.
A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained
What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.
How Not to Feel the Burn
These groups help residents preserve their property, health and life.
Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One
Making it through the earthquake is easy—the hard part comes later.
Many of Robert Kerbeck’s neighbors in Malibu Park lost their homes in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which left behind lots where only chimneys still stood.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance
Wildfires are larger, more frequent, and more ferocious—so be prepared.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork
With CERT training, ordinary civilians can play critical roles in protecting their communities.
View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis
Recent lessons learned over days of local disaster.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?
By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Flooding on the Salinas River in 2023 brought economic hardship to farmers and snarled traffic.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters
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