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.
South County
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Three tense years lie ahead as Watsonville residents await the Pajaro levee project’s fixes
Mark Strudley of the new Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency hasn’t been on the job for long and hasn’t even had time yet to build a staff or find an office in Watsonville. The longtime Boulder Creek resident lays out the race against time to build the levee project before the next devastating storms. There are many hurdles, including agency coordination.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville residents near Pajaro River tributaries seek answers in aftermath of Santa Cruz County storms
Those who live in the lowest-lying areas adjacent to the Pajaro River’s tributaries knew that flooding was a possibility, but most had never seen it for themselves. When a weather system predicted to drop far less rainfall than it did arrived on New Year’s Eve, it created a perfect storm of chaos for many residents — particularly some of the area’s oldest and most vulnerable in the neighborhood known as The Villages.
Posted inLatest News
Morning Lookout: Post-storm insurance questions, Smitten Kitchen wisdom & recapping Biden’s visit
“The federal government is not leaving its responsibility until it’s all fixed, it’s done,” President Joe Biden told a…
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Damaged by the Santa Cruz storms? Tips from the pros on how to deal with insurance
“First thing is to do your best to dry out your property and stabilize it. Be safe, and recognize that most people are going to have a fight with their insurance companies to get them to pay for the damage,” says Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders. Her group aids consumers in the many ins and outs of getting insurance claims paid; here are her tips.
Posted inLatest News
Biden pledges full federal support for disaster recovery during tour of Santa Cruz County storm damage
“The federal government is not leaving its responsibility until it’s all fixed, it’s done,” President Joe Biden told a gathering at Seacliff State Beach on Thursday afternoon after visits to Watsonville, Capitola and a helicopter tour of storm damage across Santa Cruz County.
Posted inLatest News
Biden the first president to visit Santa Cruz County since Bush’s stop after ’89 quake
No, Abe Lincoln never got to fulfill his wish to visit Santa Cruz, but Benjamin Harrison and Teddy Roosevelt, marveling at our redwoods, whistle-stopped through.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
After the storms, let’s applaud those who went above and beyond
Lookout wants to hear stories about Santa Cruz County residents helping each other during the storm siege that began New Year’s Eve and lasted into mid-January.
Posted inLatest News
Biden to visit Watsonville, Capitola, Seacliff State Beach in tour of Santa Cruz County storm damage
White House officials said President Joe Biden and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell would spend around three hours Thursday afternoon meeting with local officials and residents and touring areas of Santa Cruz County devastated by landslides, flooding and surf swells.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: President Biden, please come to Santa Cruz County and visit those who need help the most
Editorial: As the governor and the president visit storm-torn California, where they visit is a meaningful act. Beyond scenic photo ops, it’s a sign of where their attention — and funding — might go. Santa Cruz County deserves a stop — but not just in scenic Capitola.