Santa Cruz County Resilience Digest

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.

Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

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

Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, estimates that work will begin in late summer or early fall, starting at the Corralitos Creek Bridge.

After the historic Alba Schoolhouse in Ben Lomond burned down in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire, there was hope for rebuilding. But insurance payments complicated those plans.

An updated earthquake hazard map from USGS shows a high shaking risk in California.

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

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

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.

Like the redwoods that survived the devastating CZU fire of 2020, the McHenry family is resilient. That fateful August conflagration ruined a promising crop at Beauregard Vineyards.

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.

After absorbing a heavy one-two punch by way of mammoth waves and a high tide, local crews and community members cleaned up the mess that was left behind while preparing for an imminent round of storm activity.

On Dec. 28, coastal storm surges damaged waterfront restaurants in Capitola and Aptos. Less than a year ago, the same businesses required lengthy repairs after similar storms caused major destruction.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Santa Cruz County is the 15th most vulnerable county nationwide, according to data recently compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
More than 93% of the county's total geography is made up of unincorporated regions where more than half of its population resides.

2023 has broken climate records, accompanied by extreme weather which has left a trail of devastation, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

I’m part of a band of humans who call themselves nomads, except I’m a part-time digital nomad. The “part-time” is because I still have a house — a sticks-and-bricks, as the nomads call it.

The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, which turns 40 next year, has launched its Strategic Plan 2024+, which outlines the history of the agency, its mission, and in-depth goals for the future.

The Rotary Club of Freedom has assembled a group of local musicians to pay tribute to the beloved once-local folk singer while also raising funds for Pajaro flood victims.

Residents of Planada and Pajaro want state aid to help alleviate debt incurred from rebuilding after January floods. Local officials want some money to go elsewhere.

Much of California could get hit by extreme weather conditions this winter. A major storm is due to hit Northern California this week.

More than 1.5 million acres of forest have been burned or scarred in California. Climbers go high in trees to grab pine cones that could help in reforestation.

The city of Santa Cruz and partnering consultant Farallon Strategies held a virtual public meeting to further gauge the community’s feelings about West Cliff Drive’s role in the city in the next 50 years.

Representatives from California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the Waddell Creek Association celebrated the grand opening of the new Rancho del Oso Welcome Center, which serves as a gateway to the western coastal side of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

Forecasters have struggled to understand why tropical storms sometimes blow up into major hurricanes. Scientists have shed some light on this forecasting challenge.

Los Angeles Times writer Rosanna Xia’s new book, “California Against the Sea,” examines the postwar coastal development boom and the challenges facing the 27 million Californians who live in the coastal zone as sea-level rise and coastal erosion become facts of life.

Local leaders say the number of impacted homes and people displaced will only grow as the climate crisis intensifies, and they have set their sights on exploring a new tactic they think could both aid in the recovery effort and help residents prepare for the future.

"It has been an all hands on deck situation since early January," Santa Cruz County Assistant Director of Public Works Steve Wiesner told the Sentinel.

The report seeks to identify transportation infrastructure assets that may be impacted by climate hazards and then develop an order in which those assets should undergo a more detailed analysis for climate adaptation.