Santa Cruz County Local News: Resilience


All Local Resilience News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Working together with many volunteers, this crew feeds 65,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month.
California’s Oldest Food Bank Pays It Forward

For the food-insecure community in Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank feeds the need.

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.

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: Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

Prepare for disaster in Santa Cruz County by keeping crucial information at your fingertips—just one touch away on your smartphone.

Image caption: With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork

Fires, floods, earthquakes—California’s got it all. And CERT volunteers are ready to step in.

Image caption: Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service hone their skills at various local events.
Listening Skills

How local amateur radio operators can help in the next big emergency.

Image caption: Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners

As California insurance companies have revoked the fire policies of thousands of homeowners, the state has taken steps to get them covered again.

Image caption: 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

California wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more ferocious. ‘Malibu Burning’ author Robert Kerbeck shares simple steps you can take to protect your home.

Image caption: From the coast to the mountains, Santa Cruz County’s landscape has given way to human development. But residents can make all parts of the region more hospitable to native species.
Backyard Ecology

Tips for creating wildlife-friendly habitat in Santa Cruz County, no matter where you live.

Image caption: Feeling blocked? These mental health organizations can help.
Finding Piece of Mind

Feeling stressed? Confused? Or just a little blue? Help is just a phone call away for residents of Santa Cruz County.

Image caption: 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 the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Image caption: Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

Image caption:
How Not to Feel the Burn

California residents can turn to these public and private entities to help prepare for wildfires and protect their property.

Image caption: 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.

Image caption: 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.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

05/17/2024
Image for display with article titled How to Find Home Insurance in Santa Cruz County

As thousands of Santa Cruz County homeowners are losing home insurance, a state official and insurance professionals this week offered advice for finding, keeping and affording policies.

California Local Pin Marker From San Joaquin Valley Sun...

05/17/2024
An analysis has been released indicating the cost of construction of the 45 mile long Delta Tunnel would be $20.1 billion, to be paid by a group of 29 water agencies.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

05/17/2024
Group behind Water and Wildfire Protection Act, which would add a $87 annual parcel tax in Santa Cruz County, has submitted signatures to the county clerk for certification.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

05/15/2024
Image for display with article titled Newsom Releases Billions for Mental Health Housing Ahead of Schedule: ‘Time to Deliver’

California voters narrowly passed Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure to fund mental health housing. He’s prodding counties to use the money quickly.

Good Times logo From Good Times...

05/15/2024
Image for display with article titled River Rescuers

On the asphalt levee of the San Lorenzo River, a half mile from where the river mouth spills into the ocean, a huddle of mustard yellow shirts awaits instructions.

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo From Hilltromper Santa Cruz...

05/09/2024
Image for display with article titled Inaugural Santa Cruz County Wildfire Resilience Summit - June 6, 2024

Learn about wildfire resilience projects and resources for landowners at the inaugural Santa Cruz County Wildfire Resilience Summit.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

05/07/2024
While it might be reopening in August, Capitola is still in the process of developing a long-term vision for the iconic wharf.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

05/02/2024
Image for display with article titled Organic Rising: Central Coast Farmers Featured in New Film

Anthony Saua, director of Organic Rising, talks about the rise of organic agriculture and its importance to health, the environment and slowing global warming,

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

05/02/2024
Because of damage to pilings sustained in a December storm, the Dolphin Restaurant is set to be taken down to effect repairs to the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/28/2024
Repairs to roads damaged in recent storms, including the slow-moving slide on Mountain Charlie Road, depend on state and federal funding and could take years to complete.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

04/26/2024
The Sempervirens Fund has purchased two adjacent parcels to be transferred to park ownershipfor use as a new entrance and to replace other facilities destroyed in the CZU Fire.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/24/2024
A 34-unit tiny home village for people displaced when Pajaro was flooded will begin construction in Watsonville on a church-owned parcel in Watsonville.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

04/19/2024
Image for display with article titled U.S. Army Corps Seeks Public Input on Pajaro River Levee Environmental Study

The agency responsible for the rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee has completed an environmental assessment for Reach 6 of the project, and is seeking public input before finalizing it.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

04/18/2024
Image for display with article titled Low-Impact Camping Ordinance Raises Questions in Fire Zone

The Low Impact Camping Ordinance drafted by the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission took some rural residents by surprise.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/18/2024
The California Public Utilities Commission will consider on May 9 a new proposal that would change how Californians pay for electricity.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

04/15/2024
Image for display with article titled AmeriCorps Team Improves San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat

An AmeriCorps team led by San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat Restoration Program founder and advisor Linda Skeff weeded invasive plants from the native plant demonstration beds at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum Grace Gallery in Boulder Creek on a rainy Saturday in April.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/15/2024
California State Parks and partner Friends of California State Parks are working together on a project to rehabilitate a number of dunes at Rio Del Mar State Beach to reduce erosion, increase resilience and restore wildlife habitat.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

04/11/2024
Image for display with article titled California’s Insurance Crisis: Interview With Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller

In part II of "Have you Been Canceled?", a look at California's homeowner's insurance crisis, Rachel Anne Goodman talks with Deputy Insurance Commissioner and spokesperson for Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Michael Soller.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

04/11/2024
Image for display with article titled ‘Bleak’ Outlook for Santa Cruz County Budget

A proposed budget for 2025 cuts money for road repairs. Storms in 2023 caused about $140 million in damage to county-maintained roads, county staff said.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/11/2024
A California Republican’s bill would exempt low and middle income wildfire victims from solar panels requirements on rebuilt homes that didn’t have them when they burned down.
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