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Santa Cruz County Resilience Articles



The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Newsom signs bill to fast-track Pajaro Levee work

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation that will expedite the reconstruction of the Pajaro River Levee, moving construction start and completion time years earlier than anticipated. Assembly Bill 876 fast-tracks the work by exempting the project from certain local …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
How to get a COVID vaccine and flu shot in Santa Cruz County

Plus: Winter flood outlook to be discussed by county supervisors.

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 …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Climate adaptation plans aim to protect roads, rail line

Plus: Scotts Valley special elections in October, November.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Dozens attend Ben Lomond meeting about new fire danger maps

At a nighttime meeting Sept. 26 at the Highlands Park Senior and Community Center in Ben Lomond, Cal Fire Capt. Frank Rodgers sympathized with those of the 30 to 40 attendees who wondered about the complexity of changing fire danger …

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
San Lorenzo Valley Water District invests $13M in new pipelines

San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) has begun construction on more than $13 million in crucial pipeline infrastructure and water tank replacement projects that will enhance the water system’s reliability and improve support for firefighting. The projects represent a significant …

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.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Capitola Wharf Construction Underway

City officials and locals gathered to celebrate the wharf's groundbreaking Friday afternoon

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Slow recovery continues after Pajaro flood

Committee to guide $20 million state investment.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Riverside encampments a concern as winter approaches

Edward Lovell Jr. steps out of a small homeless encampment on Airport Boulevard in Watsonville one hot and sunny day with his friendly, frisky mutt Cotton on a leash. Lovell, 43, estimates he is one of about 20 people who …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Rivas authors bill to speed up Pajaro levee rebuild

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Tuesday introduced legislation intended to speed up the $400 million rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee. Assembly Bill 876 would expedite the work by exempting certain aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
New Bill Would Expedite Levee Repairs

If passed, construction to upgrade the Pajaro levee could begin as early as next year

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?

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Work underway to strengthen levees and prepare for winter rains

Next year, work crews will kick off a $400 million project to rebuild the levees in South Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties and keep the rivers and creeks from escaping and devastating the surrounding communities. That long-anticipated work will …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Newborn Program Trains Monterey Bay Fishermen to Prevent Disaster

A novel partnership recently visited Santa Cruz Harbor to equip local fisherfolk with first aid Don’t let the amputated thumb distract you. Not from the dangerous deck conditions brought on by heavy seas. Not from your spiking heart rate. Not …

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:
Working Together: TTCF and California Local

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

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.
Feeling blocked? These mental health organizations can help.
Finding Piece of Mind
Find help from these websites, telephone hotlines and organizations
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
No matter where you live, you can help native flora and fauna.
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.
Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service hone their skills at various local events.
Listening Skills
With the CZU fires in mind, volunteers in the Santa Cruz Mountains are taking emergency communications into their own hands.
Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters
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.
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
California’s first food bank has helped residents of Santa Cruz County for more than 50 years.
Join Us Today!