Santa Cruz County Resilience Digest

The U.S. Small Business Administration has set up shop in the community room of Capitola City Hall to help businesses and nonprofit organizations recover from the recent winter storms.

The Coastal Watershed Council, Save Our Shores, Hotel Paradox and Yoso Wellness united for the Bridging the Gap river habitat restoration event along the San Lorenzo River in downtown Santa Cruz.

Once again, Big Sur Kate has woven a tale that pulls Voices of Monterey Bay readers in from the first sentence she writes.

As damaging as it was for more than 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow to fall on California since Christmas, a worst-case global warming scenario could juice up similar future downpours by one-third by the middle of this century, a new study says.

After a series of punishing winter storms and a violent tidal surge damaged the Capitola Village restaurant, the iconic beachfront spot anticipates a closure of several months, and aims to reopen by Memorial Day.

"It isn't just a slap of the Band-Aid," said one official. "This is going to take some time."

A number of climate researchers say recent storms appear to be typical of the deluges the state has experienced periodically and not the result of global warming.

Help was on the way as the two-week weather onslaught began to dry up.

The White House said President Biden will visit Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties on Jan. 19.

"It's difficult because you're calling home insurance, auto insurance and some are calling back and some are not," said Cornelio Garcia, who is navigating the insurance process while working full-time as a Pajaro Valley Unified School District teacher.

The foundation will work not only in its core counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo, but also with the other Bay Area counties and Santa Cruz to address the devastation left by recent storms.

As tens of thousands of residents have faced ordered evacuations in the past two weeks, a series of emergency shelters offered respite.

Estimated costs include more than $21 million in county road damages and more than $6.8 million in damages to park sites. In addition, officials estimate more than $1.2 million in damages to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District.

The people of Felton Grove have seen two floods since the start of the new year. Some residents are thinking of leaving for good, while others see the floods as a way of life.

Officials have observed signs of seepage along an earthen levee of the Pajaro River levee system and will quickly move to engage in emergency repairs.

After touring the storm-blasted businesses along the Capitola Village Esplanade, the governor praised both local leaders and the community “for taking care of themselves.”

Loch Lomond Reservoir fills for first time in four years; more rain on horizon.

The unrelenting deluge battering the Santa Cruz Mountains left hundreds in Boulder Creek without power for days. Although challenging, it’s nothing new for the mountain community.

The move will allow the city to seek financial assistance from state and federal agencies as it recovers from storm activity that crippled many regions.

The city of Santa Cruz is turning the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium into an emergency shelter site.

The interactive map has a slider bar allowing the comparison of the previous assessment of susceptibility to wildfire with the proposed changes.

Cell phones buzzed 10 seconds ahead of shaking in Northern California.

“As we continue to revitalize the Moss Landing Power Plant site to meet the power needs of the future, we are in the process of safely dismantling the superstructure ... and recycling the scrap,” said Meranda Cohn, a Vistra spokesperson.

The CPUC's scaled-back plan eliminates consumer fees. The original was abandoned after criticism from the governor and solar advocates that it could hurt the transition to renewable energy.

On Election Day, a tornado with wind gusts of up to 70 mph touched down in a rural area of Sacramento County near Galt. The Bee looks at how common tornadoes are in California, what causes them and how dangerous they can be.

Planning for "prescribed burns" is critical, but also time consuming and cumbersome.

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, trying to ease an insurance crisis that’s hurt rural California, has announced that all carriers active in fire-prone communities must incorporate his “Safer from Wildfires” program into their premiums.

According to the first in a series of reports to come from a consulting firm hired by California officials, PG&E’s efforts to improve wildfire safety are hindered by aging equipment, damaged power poles and hazardous trees that went undetected by the utility’s crews.

Almost a year after evacuating during the CZU Lightning Complex fires, Judy Osborn learned she’d been dropped by her home insurance company. Her Santa Cruz Mountains home had become too risky to cover, her provider said.

The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires leveled more than 900 residential homes and nearly 1,500 structures. Efforts to rebuild infrastructure, restore wildland and refine response efforts have been ongoing ever since.

For those living in wildfire-ravaged regions, help might be on the way. Covered California recently announced an application window for victims of wildfires, as well as those who live in fire-prone regions, to apply for assistance.

Nate Armstrong has gotten got a big increase in funding to prepare for what’s ahead. But with an unending fire season, the head of the Cal Fire unit covering Santa Cruz County has more questions than answers.