Santa Cruz County has taken a battering over the past 10 days, and Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Capitola on Tuesday, witnessing the damage. To the questions of state aid, he acknowledged that small businesses might have to wade through a number of different resources to find disaster relief, but said his office will put together “a sheet” with more streamlined information on resources.
Storms 2023: Road to Recovery
Posted inK-12 Education
Many Santa Cruz County schools resume Wednesday, though SLV, some Pajaro Valley schools to remain closed
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District will open most of its schools Wednesday after closing many campuses because of storms, though several PVUSD schools affected by ongoing evacuation warnings will remain closed. After planning to reopen, the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District canceled classes Wednesday amid downed trees and other logistical issues. Santa Cruz City Schools will have regular instruction Wednesday.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
How a determined dog and memories of baby red-tailed hawks are getting me through 2023’s stormy start
Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach was looking for a sign that 2023 would be a tad brighter than 2022. She found it in a determined dog who, just after the New Year’s Eve storm, had slipped down an embankment and was struggling to “return to its people,” who were standing on a ledge calling to it. Sternbach unfolds the story here — and contemplates the unexpected sense of community that emerges during a crisis.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Pajaro River levee system to undergo emergency repairs Wednesday after showing signs of seepage
The County of Santa Cruz said late Tuesday that it would carry out emergency repairs to the Pajaro River levee system, which was showing signs of seepage after more than a week of heavy rains. The stretch of river that runs through Watsonville has continued to steadily rise since Monday and measured over 31 feet Tuesday afternoon (32 feet is considered flood stage) after more storms swept through Santa Cruz County.
Posted inEducation
UCSC power restored and in-person instruction to resume Wednesday after storms hit Santa Cruz County
UC Santa Cruz will resume in-person instruction Wednesday and power has been restored, after widespread storms across Santa Cruz County caused some areas of campus to lose power Monday and forced the school to move to remote instruction Monday and Tuesday.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County storms: Where we stand Tuesday
Gov. Gavin Newsom was set to tour storm-damaged parts of Capitola Village on Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office was responding to an overwhelming number of calls about downed trees, more than 19,000 people were without power, 64 county roads had closures, and the Pajaro River stood at 31 feet and rising.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: The irony is telling: Why is the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approving housing in flood zones?
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here. To the editor: On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a news conference about evacuation of people near the Pajaro River in the community of Pajaro. I was struck by the irony of the situation. In December, […]
Posted inCoast Life
Riders on the storm: Santa Cruz surfers’ yin-yang relationship with historic megaswell events
There is much cleanup and rebuilding to be done after the storms battering Santa Cruz County, damage that hadn’t been seen for decades. There is also an epic sandbar building up off the San Lorenzo rivermouth. It’s a complex equation for those who live their best Santa Cruz lives tapping into the ocean’s energy and often risking their own personal safety for reasons few others could understand.
Posted inLatest News
Biden declares emergency as latest in ‘parade of cyclones’ takes aim at California
President Joe Biden approves an emergency declaration for California as another series of powerful winter storms bears down Monday on Northern California.
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz loses some power, will continue remote instruction through Tuesday
UC Santa Cruz moved classes to emergency remote or online instruction Monday and Tuesday after the recent storms created dangerous conditions across the county and led to power outages for some living on campus.