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Santa Clara County Resilience Articles



Image caption: There’s no “magic solution” to the state’s homeowner fire insurance crisis, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s office says.
Despite Promises, Homeowners Still Face Fire Insurance Crisis

While state regulators craft new regulations and consult with the insurance industry, many Californians are paying extra-high premiums—or going without insurance entirely.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
PG&E helicopters patrol for trees that pose wildfire risk

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is conducting aerial patrols in areas of Santa Clara, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Scheduled helicopter patrols are part of the company’s Vegetation Management Program to detect dead or dying trees that could …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Visit Health opens recovery center

In August, Visit Health celebrated a milestone with the opening of its first residential rehabilitation facility and Intensive Outpatient Clinic (IOP) in Los Gatos, where the company is based.  The IOP, located at 16400 Lark Ave., Suite 240, provides a …

Image caption: Winter storms can lead to flooding in Santa Clara County’s creeks, such as this January 2022 incident on San Tomas Aquino Creek.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

When disaster strikes, you’ll need to have these information resources available on your smartphone.

Image caption: Kara Meyberg Guzman is one of the hardest working journalists in the business.
Q&A: Kara Meyberg Guzman of Santa Cruz Local

Meet tiny newsroom co-founder Kara Meyberg Guzman, who has been honored by the Local Independent Online News Publishers Association.

Image caption: 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?

This year, a series of extreme events in California and around the country have wreaked havoc, driven by climate change. How prepared are we for things to get worse?

Image caption: 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.

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Working Together: TTCF and California Local

A conversation with Stacy Caldwell, CEO of Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation

Image caption: In the years since she recovered from a severe illness brought on by West Nile Virus, Marie Heilman has helped spread the word about the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District's "Fight the Bite" campaign.
West Nile Virus Survivor Offers a Warning and a Plea

Marie Heilman of Winters, who is happy to be alive, wants people to guard against mosquitoes and the deadly virus they carry.

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.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Study: Human-caused climate change blamed for uptick in wildfires

Human-caused climate change may be playing a significant role in fueling the surge of devastating wildfires in California, according to a new study from a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist and other collaborators. The research, published in the Proceedings of …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Mountains offer testing ground for new wildfire prevention philosophy

While meeting in the scorching heat at Trinity Bible Church in Felton on a recent Friday afternoon, a group was awaiting a tour of Fall Creek where they’d receive a history lesson about the complex interplay between tan oaks, Douglas …

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.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County program aims to prevent massive wildfires

Every year, beginning in March, property owners throughout the county must comply with regulations designed to prevent the spread of wildfires that threaten people, property and the environment. The rules took effect March 1 for three cities—San José, Santa Clara …

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.

Image caption: Scott Murrison inside a hoop house full of unused cannabis growing equipment in Hayfork on Feb. 7, 2023.
Emerald Triangle Cannabis Economy Pushed to the Brink

Cannabis has been king in this rural area of northern California. As prices plummet, communities and small businesses are hurting, Many blame Prop 64.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Valley Water celebrates $727M in EPA loans for Anderson Dam, other projects

With a cold winter storm bearing down on Morgan Hill, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrators joined local and regional representatives Feb. 23 at the top of Anderson Dam to announce the availability of $727 million in low-cost loans that will …

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
City applies for state ‘drought relief’ grants

The City of Morgan Hill is in the process of applying for two “drought relief” grants that could increase the city’s water storage capacity and improve flood protection on the south side of town.  According to a city staff report …

Image caption: View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis

How to effectively communicate actionable information for preparation before extreme events, and to disseminate vital information during and after disasters.

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 in a Wildfire
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.
Winter storms can lead to flooding in Santa Clara County’s creeks, such as this January 2022 incident on San Tomas Aquino Creek.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters.