Quick Take
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency proclamation last week in response to the December storms that caused the partial collapse of the Santa Cruz Wharf and widespread damage throughout the county. The county will be able to access state financial assistance as well as state personnel, equipment and facilities required for recovery.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency proclamation last week to help the city and county of Santa Cruz repair damage from the storm surge in December, which caused the partial collapse of the 110-year-old Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.
In his Friday declaration, Newsom said the severity of the storm surge resulted in conditions that are “likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to appropriately respond.”
The storm surge caused major damage beyond the wharf collapse as well. The Santa Cruz Port District sustained more than $26 million in damages, including significant damage to the harbor’s dock and infrastructure. High waves flooded Capitola Village, prompting the evacuation of the Capitola Venetian Hotel and a majority of the village. There was also damage along East Cliff Drive and in Rio Del Mar, and local businesses suffered heavy losses due to extended closures.
County spokesperson Jason Hoppin told Lookout that the proclamation does not provide local jurisdictions with money up front. Rather, it opens up eligibility for financial reimbursement following repairs and required response work, similarly to how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) works.
Hoppin added that the proclamation pertains only to “public assistance,” or repairing infrastructure, at this time. As of now, he said, there is no Small Business Administration assistance available, but it is possible that could change.
That could end up being a lot of money. Hoppin said the City of Santa Cruz saw about $18.2 million in damages, while the City of Capitola saw $28,000 and unincorporated parts of the county saw $35,000 in damages.
Along with opening the door for the county to receive state financial assistance, the proclamation also allows the county to access state resources to move forward with recovery work.
In a statement sent to Lookout, Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker said the proclamation will assist the city in repairing infrastructure, removing debris and performing “necessary repairs to the Santa Cruz Wharf.” He said that investing in climate resilience and mitigation efforts will be a priority, but did not respond by publication time to a follow-up inquiry about what specific repairs to the wharf will be prioritized.
“As we move forward, we are working to determine the specific funding allocations and priorities for these resources,” he said. “We remain committed to supporting the local businesses as they recover from storm-related disruptions and ensuring that our community is prepared for future climate-related challenges.”
Port Director Holland MacLaurie told Lookout via email that the port district is “incredibly thankful” for the emergency proclamation, and that it makes nearly $19 million in reimbursements available — or 75% of the approximately $26 million in damages that the port district sustained.
“The port district’s recovery efforts remain ongoing and having financial assistance from the state to rebuild and restore the harbor to its pre-storm conditions is critical,” she said.
MacLaurie said there is a significant amount of work that still needs to be addressed in the harbor. That includes debris removal in the north and south harbor. She added that crews also still need to remove failed and broken pilings, primarily in the north harbor, where the most extensive damage occurred.
MacLaurie also said that a number of docks saw heavy damage, primarily the G and X docks, located in the north harbor. Those will require complete replacement, and port district staff are developing a plan and working through specifications to begin their restoration. Harbormaster Blake Anderson said that of the 25 docks in the harbor, eight are in the north harbor. As expected, those received varying degrees of severe damage.
“Some docks may be repairable,” he said, adding that an engineering survey to determine the path forward. “That will tell us what is salvageable and what needs to be replaced.”
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