Laura Anaya-Morga, Author at Lookout Santa Cruz

Dried mud and a stranded buoy are seen on the lakebed at Lake Oroville. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

California records driest year in a century

by Laura Anaya-Morga October 18, 2021

The average accumulation of rain and snowfall across the state totaled only 11.87 inches during the 2021 water year, which ran Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30.

Huntington Beach, CA - October 04: A storm rolls in as cleanup crews spread out across the beach as they begin cleaning up oil in the sand from a major oil spill on Huntington State Beach in Huntington Beach Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Cleanup crews began cleaning up the the damage from a major oil spill off the Orange County coast that left crude spoiling beaches, killing fish and birds and threatening local wetlands. The oil slick is believed to have originated from a pipeline leak, pouring 126,000 gallons into the coastal waters and seeping into the Talbert Marsh as lifeguards deployed floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further incursion, said Jennifer Carey, Huntington Beach city spokesperson. At sunrise Sunday, oil was on the sand in some parts of Huntington Beach with slicks visible in the ocean as well. "We classify this as a major spill, and it is a high priority to us to mitigate any environmental concerns," Carey said. "It's all hands on deck." (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Environment

PG&E warns of another power shut-off affecting up to 29,000 customers; Santa Cruz County not on list

by Laura Anaya-Morga October 12, 2021September 18, 2024

Twenty counties in Northern and Central California could be affected Thursday in order to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines; as of Tuesday afternoon, Santa Cruz County was among those counties.

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