The city has finished emergency repairs to West Cliff Drive and the San Lorenzo River levee. As design plans for final repairs get underway, officials still hope to begin construction on the rest this summer.
Weather
Posted inLatest News
County damage estimates up to $76 million; priorities to be discussed Tuesday
Across Santa Cruz County, storm damage cost estimates have reached $76 million. The board of supervisors will discuss priorities with county personnel Tuesday.
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Highway 9 and Highway 236 repair work continues with no reopening dates
Caltrans says crews are working to clear mudslides and repair storm damage to Highway 9 in the Ben Lomond area and Highway 236 near Boulder Creek, but the agency does not yet have an estimated reopening date for either.
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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.
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Storms 2023: Power to be restored Friday to 23 Felton customers
The power went out in Felton during storms that hit the community around 1 a.m. on Jan. 8. Pacific Gas & Electric crews were unable to begin repairs in the area of Pine Drive and Redwood Drive until Jan. 23 because of a mudslide, flooding, downed trees and damaged equipment.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘They need to know they matter’: Why a humanistic approach is core to this new homelessness group’s work
Evan Morrison’s four-month-old Santa Cruz Free Guide, which has been running the Safe RV Parking program at the Armory, has caught the attention of others who keep a close eye on homelessness response efforts. It’s why the City of Santa Cruz called on the Free Guide to pop up an emergency shelter downtown during the worst nights of winter storms. Morrison believes successful homelessness response begins with a specific mindset, grounded in empathy.
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Has Santa Cruz been colder than usual this winter?
If it’s feeling cold — even more so than usual recently — it’s not your imagination. Data stretching back to the middle of the fall shows that temperatures have been consistently between 2 and 6 degrees lower than normal for this time of the year. Throw in the wet weather of recent weeks, and that chilly bite can feel downright frigid.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Public Works gears up for widespread repairs, sees West Cliff as hardest-hit part of Santa Cruz
West Cliff Drive took the brunt of the damage within the City of Santa Cruz, which means that it will be the main focus of the beginning of storm recovery. However, there is plenty of work to be done around the city — and it could take quite some time to complete all the repairs.
Posted inPolitics & Policy, San Lorenzo Valley
Devastated by storms and denied by insurance, Lompico residents navigate uncertain recovery
Just days after a first New Year’s Eve storm rendered Lompico resident Benjamin Short’s home uninhabitable, his insurance claim was denied, leaving him on the hook for potentially $250,000 in repairs. It’s a situation that policyholder advocates say is increasingly common as California homeowners contend with more frequent natural disasters.
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.
