Santa Cruz County Resilience Digest

The council will first consider a professional services agreement for $1.19 million to repair Cliff Drive, which suffered extensive damages during last season's winter storms.

The end of 2023 is less than three months away, but one event the year is likely going to be remembered for in Santa Cruz County was the breach of the Pajaro River levee that left the community of Pajaro flooded for weeks.

The San Lorenzo River mouth was breached by city workers Sept. 29 to prevent flooding of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and adjoining neighborhoods.

Watsonville Mayor Eduardo Montesino reminds the community about the importance of being prepared for heavy rains and the possibility of flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has identified nearly 500 “zones” that are ill-prepared to tolerate flooding, earthquakes, heat waves, wildfires, landslides and other natural hazards. California topped all states with 51 total zones, followed by 35 in Texas and 32 in Florida.

Construction crews are set to begin work next week on a $7.7 million project to rebuild and reopen this seaside town’s wharf, which was wrecked in winter storms.

A new study that found human-caused climate warming has increased the frequency of fast-spreading California wildfires has come into question from the unlikeliest of critics—its own lead author.

“We’re going to have another storm; we’re going to have another extreme weather event,” said Rep. Jimmy Panetta. “I’m obviously proud of what happened in regards to the response, but I also know it wasn’t perfect ... and that’s where we can get better.”

After California lost over 4 million acres to fire in 2020, the state funded Task Force Rattlesnake, with National Guardsmen to assist Cal Fire.

The effort to restore the currently impassable Bethany Curve bridge on West Cliff Drive moved forward at the Aug. 22 Santa Cruz City Council meeting.

Homeowners in the Fallen Leaf neighborhood in Boulder Creek said they are frustrated that the building process has taken a long time in Santa Cruz County.

Three years after the CZU Complex Lightning Fire, Big Basin Water Company can once again operate the local sewer system. Homeowners say one of the obstacles to rebuilding has been the county was not approving permits because sewer lines were not connected.

Summer heatwaves can strain California’s electricity supply, prompting energy emergency notifications to appear across highway signs and social media.

Heading into peak wildfire season, PG&E has shifted its strategy, focusing less aggressively on trimming trees and relying more on technology to de-energize damaged lines.

Gavin Newsom signed an executive order aimed at accelerating levee repairs and debris removal to ensure communities along the Pajaro River are prepared for the winter.

Huge winter rains and snow are continuing to reduce fire risk, experts say.

As sea levels rise, many countries are considering a controversial strategy: relocation of communities. A Stanford analysis of planned relocations around the world reveals a blueprint for positive outcomes from an approach often considered a last resort.

The National Association of Counties delivered a unanimous vote Friday that will include equitable flood protection for disadvantaged communities.

Luis Yauri Oyola hopes one day to buy a tractor to start a business in Peru; he estimates that he is six years away from that goal, for which he will have spent more than a decade of his life living thousands of miles away from his family. He is on call 24/7 and doesn’t leave the job site except for necessities.

The Poet and The Patriot permanently closed due to the economic impact of shelter-in-place. In its place The Alley Oop Cocktail Lounge will open—an exciting contribution to the Santa Cruz cocktail, dining and entertainment scene from Max Turigliatto, who also owns Mission West Bar.

Nearly four months after the breech of the Pajaro River levee, many residents remain displaced or are feeling the impacts of the floods.

The Live Oak School District Board of Trustees granted a two-month eviction extension, meant to give time to finish negotiating a longer lease agreement that’s been in the works for months.

County leaders endorsed a new plan that charts a path for at least three years of year-round, 24-7 mobile mental crisis response available countywide, among other beefed-up services.

The Capitola City Council unanimously gave its staff the green light to begin accepting bids for Phase 2 of the Capitola Wharf Resiliency and Public Access Improvement Project, which includes restoring the large section of the iconic structure ripped away in early January.

Sixteen weeks after ocean waves crashed into Capitola’s Esplanade, causing enough damage to shutter all the restaurants, nearly all of them have reopened.

Living in Pajaro, California, means living at the whims of the effects of climate change on both life and property. On March 11, the Pajaro River breached the town levee, flooding the town. It's been seven weeks since the levee breach.

“If we can have a decent summer, I’m pretty sure we’ll survive and then we can start buying the less-necessary things as we go,” said My Thai Beach owner Dominick King.

Supervisors approved the program's second round of grants last June and accepted more than 50 award proposals that distributed roughly $5.9 million in total funding.

On Monday night, President Joe Biden approved a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for seven California counties, including Monterey and Santa Cruz, allowing for federal funding to provide relief for flooding and other extreme weather conditions that have taken place since mid-February.

Debris removal is in full swing in Pájaro and adjacent areas but many residents still have questions about how the process works and who is organizing and coordinating the effort.

For most Californians, the sight of aircraft spewing neon pink liquid over flaming trees and brush has become a hallmark of aggressive wildfire suppression campaigns. But some forest advocates say the substance does more harm than good. A federal lawsuit could reshape how the U.S. Forest Service battles wildfires throughout the western United States.

Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren — who both represent Monterey and Santa Cruz counties in Congress — signed a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urging the federal government to expedite improvements to the levee.