“You go to sleep living one life, then you wake up living another,” says one Pajaro resident whose family of seven has been in limbo since the March floods. While they’ve received help from FEMA and local agencies, the high cost of living and the uneven post-flood response has them confused and worried.
Storms 2023: Road to Recovery
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Record wet winter inflicted more than $210M in damage to California parks — $100M at Seacliff alone
California state parks have declared $187 million in damage to 85 state parks in January’s FEMA storm event, with an additional $23 million in March’s storm event. Seacliff State Beach in Aptos accounted for more than $100 million.
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Traffic calming, new infill walls and flying cars on West Cliff: Residents air concerns at wide-ranging meeting
Santa Cruz residents tuned in Tuesday to a West Cliff Conversations virtual meeting, where they said they’d like to see traffic calming and West Cliff Drive access restoration prioritized. The city is holding a second, in-person public meeting about the future of West Cliff on Wednesday.
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California to send $95 million to undocumented flooding victims months after promising ‘rapid response’
Gov. Gavin Newsom in March said state relief would soon help flood victims who don’t qualify for federal emergency relief, including those affected by disastrous flooding in Pajaro. The state has yet to name nonprofits that will dole out the aid.
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Santa Cruz City Council backs proposed 50-year plan for West Cliff Drive
The Santa Cruz City Council directed staff to move forward with developing a vision for West Cliff Drive as it faces coastal erosion accelerated by this winter’s storms. By the end of the year, city staff will aim to draft a roadmap for the next three years, as well as a 50-year plan.
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Move the lighthouse on West Cliff? With possible sea cave collapse, city council looking at alternatives
The Santa Cruz City Council will discuss preliminary plans for West Cliff Drive on Tuesday, with the impact of this winter’s battering storms on the iconic coastal roadway and what comes next an immediate focus. A draft plan also floats a future study of a sea cave underneath Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, which could determine how seriously the city will look at the feasibility of relocating the lighthouse; a leader of resident group Save West Cliff is pushing for action sooner.
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Rio Del Mural: Taylor Reinhold spearheads splashy new piece in storm-battered village
Taylor Reinhold, leader of Made Fresh Crew and the director of the landmark “Sea Walls” murals project in Santa Cruz, has added another bold piece to his public catalog, this one along the Esplanade in Rio Del Mar, an area pounded by this winter’s storms.
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Monterey County shelter at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to close Monday
As of Friday, 17 people remained at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds shelter that opened to accommodate residents displaced by the devastating flooding in nearby Pajaro, down from a peak of 435 on March 21. A spokesperson said all 17 would have emergency housing provided before the shelter closes Monday.
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Pajaro Middle School to remain closed through next school year after damage caused by levee breach
The Pajaro River levee breach caused extensive water damage to all 10 of Pajaro Middle School’s buildings, including destroying all of the floors. While they continue to assess damages, school officials expect they’ll also have to replace many of the walls due to mold. They hope to start construction early next year and reopen the school to students by the 2024-25 school year.
Posted inFood & Drink
My Thai Beach in Capitola Village back open after storm devastation
“We had a small budget to work with so we had to do a lot of our own work,” owner Dominick King said of getting My Thai Beach back up and running after the Capitola Village restaurant was battered by January storm surge. “By the grace of the support of the community, we got there.”