In this edition of In the Public Interest, Christopher Neely outlines some of the many challenges facing Pajaro after the catastrophic flooding that followed the failure of the Pajaro River levee and what elected officials from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties are doing to get heard in Sacramento and Washington.
South County
Posted inLatest News
Pajaro residents begin to return home, almost two weeks after floods devastated community
Muddy, damaged homes greeted those returning Thursday to Pajaro after Monterey County officials lifted an evacuation order in place since the March 11 levee breach flooded the agricultural community. It’s not clear when the water will be safe to drink again, and a long cleanup process lies ahead.
Posted inLatest News
In Pajaro, children and teens grapple with displacement after flooding
After a flood struck Pajaro, children have been displaced, with families living out of cars, sleeping in emergency shelters or moving out of Monterey County to stay with relatives.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Climate injustice is happening in Pajaro: It’s our moral obligation to fix the system
Climate change is here and it’s our moral obligation to act, says Sarah Newkirk, executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. We need to adapt faster to climate change, speed up federal responses, including funding and — most critically — help people affected, she says. That means assisting the people of Pajaro who have lost homes and also future income, since many are farmworkers and fields are now too flooded to work.
Posted inFood & Drink
Storms, floods a massive challenge for Santa Cruz farmers — but farm bureau chief says they’re up to it
Jess Brown has led the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau for the past four decades, a time that’s seen the organization through many state and national firsts, including being the first to have cannabis growers as members. But 2023 might be among the most challenging years for local growers in a while. In an interview with Laura Sutherland, Brown says the failure of the Pajaro River levee is the worst flooding he’s seen in more than 30 years.
Posted inLatest News
Here are ways you can help those affected by the Pajaro River levee flooding
The flooding of the community of Pajaro has left many families without incomes and potentially without homes to return…
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Q&A: State Sen. John Laird on Pajaro levee, affordable housing crisis and California’s budget deficit
State Sen. John Laird announced last week that he plans to seek reelection in 2024. A second four-year term in the California Senate would put Laird at the end of his term limits, marking the finale of his time as an elected state legislator. Laird, who turns 73 this month, agreed to hop on the phone for a Q&A a day after announcing his plans to seek one more term in Sacramento.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Left in limbo by Pajaro levee breach, families struggle with disrupted lives and school
The flooding of the community of Pajaro has left many families without incomes and potentially without homes to return to, and disrupted instruction for about 900 students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated after the Pajaro River levee failed over the weekend, leaving residents with no idea when they’ll be allowed to return.
Posted inLatest News
Before disastrous flood, officials knew Pajaro River levee could fail but took no action
For years, experts had been warning Monterey and Santa Cruz County that the levee along the Pajaro River could fail.
Posted inLatest News
Hundreds ordered to evacuate as Pajaro River breaches its levee in Monterey County
Monterey County officials said the Pajaro River breached around midnight Friday about 3 miles upstream from Pajaro, displacing around 1,700 residents in the community just across the Santa Cruz County line. The river hit 29.23 feet overnight Saturday, its highest level since January 1997. The California National Guard said it helped rescue 56 people from the floodwaters.