Our Journalism Needs Your Support

By Sharan Street
Published Jan 22, 2023

The San Lorenzo River has kept flowing through Santa Cruz County’s many disasters. Above, damage from liquefaction in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Image credit: J.C. Tinsley U.S. Geological Survey

01-23-23: Bouncing Back

In the wake of this month’s floods, we’re thinking about one word—and that’s resilience. Defined as “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties,” resilience is a quality that’s needed now in many parts of California.

Locally, the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is boosting the resilience of the local community with its Santa Cruz County Disaster Fund, “activated to support local nonprofits responding to the atmospheric river storm and flooding of January 2023.”

Among the groups already responding to local needs are the Community Action Board, Community Bridges and Second Harvest. Their volunteers are providing assistance and resources to those affected by flood damage, and also helping with preparation for new storms.

Those who can’t volunteer their time can still help by donating to the Disaster Fund. And thanks to the generosity of a local family, donations are being matched dollar for dollar, up to $75,000. So the time to give is now.

With the help of the Disaster Fund, Santa Cruz County will recover. We have in the past. Take the 1989 earthquake, which—according to a Good Times report on Joe Biden’s Jan. 19 visit—marked the last time a U.S. commander in chief had walked on county soil Many locals remember that natural disaster with the same vividness as the CZU fire of 2020. But for younger readers and new residents—or those fascinated by history—we found an impressive online catalog of Mother Nature’s hardest hits to Santa Cruz County.

Created by the City of Capitola Historical Museum, the heavily illustrated “Timeline of Natural Hazard Events Impacting the City of Capitola” starts off 1791 with the destruction of the nearby Santa Cruz Mission. From there, it goes on to chronicle floods, earthquakes, droughts, storms, high surf, dangerous winds, tidal waves, erosion and mudslides. It even includes an entry from 1961 about sooty shearwaters falling out of the sky—the incident that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Birds.

Ultimately, though, each disaster was followed by recovery. And thanks to the hard work and generosity of community members, so too will the floods of 2023.

Liquid Lexicon

In addition to covering President Biden’s visit to Santa Cruz this past week, Good Times reported on the plight of Santa Cruz Mountains residents, as well as efforts by the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter to keep pets with their owners, and this story below.

From Lochs to Levees

Water spray covers the bridge over the Newell Creek Spillway.

Spillways, levees, reservoirs … the list of water management-related jargon flows on. Good Times reporter Erin Malsbury explains it all.

By the Numbers

Earlier this month Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled out his pared-down fiscal framework meant to bridge a projected $22.5 billion shortfall with cuts and delays to climate, public health and transit programs. Naturally there’s been some pushback. Deputy budget director Erika Li stresses that this is just the beginning of a months-long haggling session between the branches of government until the final budget is approved in June.

California Senate Sings the Budget Blues

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his budget proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year during a press briefing at the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2023.

In its first formal response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $297 billion spending plan, the Legislature offered some pointed feedback on Wednesday: The governor’s fiscal forecasters are being too optimistic and the state needs to prepare for a worsening budgetary outlook. But Newsom shouldn't cut anything.