President Joe Biden on Saturday declared a disaster for the storm-damaged parts of California, freeing up federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties.
Biden’s declaration came hours after Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell and CalOES Chief Deputy Lisa Mangat visited Santa Cruz County to tour the damages.
The tour began in Bay Village around the Atri Park area and moved to Holohan and College roads, which were under flood waters at the time. The tour also included the Seacliff area and Capitola Village before ending with a presentation and discussion at the County Emergency Operations Command office.
“The need for disaster relief is clear and present in all the affected areas in the district, and I hope FEMA will expedite its process,” Supervisor Felipe Hernandez said during the presentation.
Hernandez added that the most important message for residents with flood damage is to document everything: keep receipts, take pictures and videos of all the damages, and track any work done or expenses incurred due to flooding.
Watsonville City Councilwoman Ari Parker, whose District 6 in Watsonville sustained most of the flood damages, stressed that many in her district are on a fixed income and that federal recovery is desperately needed.
FEMA assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help residents and business owners recover.
Funds are also available to local governments and nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the affected counties.
Damage assessments are continuing, and additional areas may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.
In response to these disastrous storms, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously ratified an emergency declaration allowing the county to receive state and federal disaster assistance. The move comes ahead of another week of storms and amidst residents and business owners still reeling from evacuations and destruction.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Capitola following the recent weather events. He said the next round of rain would include a coastal swell even more potent than the one that tore the seaside city’s iconic pier in two last Thursday.
The Supervisors’ declaration followed similar ones made last week by Capitola and Santa Cruz.
Dave Reid, who runs Santa Cruz County’s Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, called the storm damage “unprecedented.”
Roughly 150 people were staying in a temporary evacuation center at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on Monday night, one of eight local shelters for evacuees.
Rains flooded the San Lorenzo River and Soquel Creek for the first time in more than 40 years. County officials have so far responded to mudslides in the Santa Cruz Mountains that pulverized homes and vehicles and caused an estimated $21 million in damage to 27 roadways. 16 parks and three coastal sites sustained $6.8 million in damages, while the San Lorenzo Valley Water District saw $1.2 million.
Reid says the total financial toll of the storms is still undetermined, but it will be a high number.
Meanwhile, 45 roads were closed during the storms, including Redwood Road, which collapsed and trapped residents, Public Works Director Matt Machado says.
Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo said that though Pajaro has been under mandatory evacuation orders, cutting back on traffic flow will keep roadways open in case of flooding. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Crews of 11 emergency contractors have been working nonstop since New Year’s Eve to clear fallen trees, maintain drainage and sanitation systems and conduct levee inspections; they’re pretty much ensuring the county’s infrastructure doesn’t crumble to pieces.
Building inspectors have issued 132 yellow tags at damaged homes so far, meaning they have limited use, but residents can still stay. They have also given eight red tags (the structures are uninhabitable). Both numbers are expected to increase.
Machado says that the County will have to decide which projects it takes on first.
“The magnitude of them is such that we won’t be able to fix them all at once, and so similar to 2017 storms, we have to prioritize and do the worst first for various reasons,” he says.
A rain gauge recorded 23 inches in 10 days, a number that doesn’t match 2017—yet. The same gauge showed more than 50 inches in six weeks back then. But smaller storms can have a more significant impact since the streams and rivers are already full, and the ground is so saturated.
“This [storm] is unprecedented but not unfamiliar territory; we’re not out of the woods,” Reid says. “And we’re certainly not [expecting] 2023 to be better than 2017; it could be worse.”
As winds whipped across Zelda’s on the Beach’s barren deck Tuesday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised crowds that financial assistance would come down the pipeline just as soon as all the damages from the storms had been assessed.
“As soon as all the damage assessments are collected—then we’ll be able to make a much sounder judgment and assessment of what we actually will deliver and how, and under what circumstances in terms of timelines,” Newsom said.
After ducking in and out of the empty restaurants and meeting with several small business owners who have shops along the Esplanade, Newsom echoed a similar statement regarding aid for small businesses, again pointing to the need for assessments before making any financial promises.
“We’ll do our best,” Newsom said. “I don’t want to over-promise you, but this will be assessed, and obviously, the state’s intention, as is the federal government’s, is to help in the short run and the long run.”
Newsom’s visit came as Santa Cruz entered its second week of disastrous storms—and the state faces more atmospheric rivers. As of Tuesday, there have been 17 confirmed deaths related to weather conditions across the state, Newsom said: more than have died in the past two years related to wildfires, according to his count. 163,000 people are without power, and over 48,000 Californians are under evacuation orders, according to his count.
“These conditions are serious, and they’re deadly,” Newsom said.
On Sunday evening, in response to the statewide weather conditions, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for California, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.
On Tuesday morning, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved their own slew of local emergency proclamations at their first meeting of the year. The county estimated that as of Jan. 9, damages in unincorporated county regions were over $29 million, including more than $21 million in road damages.
Just hours before arriving in Santa Cruz, Newsom presented the state’s budget, which he referenced in front of the crowd in Capitola. His budget includes a two-year, $135 million general fund allocation to reduce local urban flood risk. It also has $8.6 billion earmarked for local water infrastructure efforts.
“The days are getting a lot drier in the last three years, and the wets are getting a lot wetter,” Newsom said. “This weather whiplash is the new reality.”
He stressed the importance of staying vigilant until the storm passes.
“This place is soaked,” he said. “And now, just a modest amount of precipitation can have an equal or greater impact in terms of the conditions on the ground, and that’s why it’s incredibly important that everybody is mindful to take seriously the orders or recommendations that come from law enforcement—don’t tempt fate.”
JUDY COLLINS Judy Collins’ voice has been entrenched in the framework of this country since she arose out of the early ’60s folk revival alongside notables, including Joan Baez. The Grammy Award winner’s graceful vibrato on her 1967 cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now” resonates with millions of fans. But Collins’ 2022 release Spellbound features not one cover—it’s the icon’s first record of all original tunes. It’s also Collins’ 55th album. You read correctly. 55. “Making art is finding something that has to do with everything that happens: the good, the bad, the happy, the sad, the angry, the depressed,” Collins told me before a 2016 show in Monterey. “All those things filter into whatever the artist is creating in order to get through the day. The dark and the light go together.” $35/$50 plus fees. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 8pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. riotheatre.com
DIRTY LOOKS: ‘CITY OF LOST SOULS’ Described as “Hedwig and the Angry Inch in reverse,” the 1983 trans punk musical is considered the “instant cult classic you’ve never seen.” It’s like lost footage of a John Waters movie never made. The pseudo-documentary follows the devious performances of trans punk star Jayne County (in her only starring role) and Angie Stardust, who runs a boarding house and the ground-floor restaurant, “Burger Queen,” where her lodgers earn their keep: Tron Von Hollywood, Tara O’Hara, Joaquín la Habana, Judith Flex and Gary—Divine would have fit in perfectly. Experimental filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim focused their attention on the trans and gender-defying Americans who found sanctuary in Berlin’s club scene of the ’80s, where he caught some of the most candid and startlingly prophetic intergenerational discussions about trans life ever.$10; $8/members. Saturday, Jan. 14, 8:30pm. Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. indexical.org
JEFF ROSENSTOCK WITH CHEEKFACE Jeff Rosenstock’s 2020 solo album No Dream has been dubbed an “accidentally universal record for a damaged, difficult time.” “I thought I had just made a record for no one,” Rosenstock says. “What’s the point of feeling this way? Does it help to vocalize it?” In addition to releasing the well-received, 13-track solo record, the eclectic rocker behind the Arrogant Sons of Bitches and DIY Bomb the Music Industry! performed with Mikey Erg, recorded and toured with the Bruce Lee Band, released a Neil Young covers record with Laura Stevenson, reissued two of his early out-of-print albums, amassed a live album and 76-page photo book and scored more than 80 episodes of “Craig of the Creek” for the Cartoon Network. “I didn’t expect to be doing well in my life, ever,” Rosenstock notes. Los Angeles indie rock trio Cheekface opens. $20 plus fees. Saturday, Jan. 14, 7pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. riotheatre.com
SAM GRISMAN PROJECT PRESENTS GARCIA/GRISMAN Mandolinist extraordinaire David “Dawg” Grisman, and Jerry Garcia, like the Grateful Dead as a band, finished each other’s musical sentences, which subsequently led to lots of collaborations. David’s son Sam explains his project: “The music that my father and his close friend [Garcia] made in the early ’90s in the house that I grew up in is not only some of the most timeless acoustic music ever recorded. It is also impressive how deeply they get beneath their favorite songs—originals, covers or traditional/old-time tunes—and how expertly that material was curated. My goal in starting the Sam Grisman Project is to build a platform for my friends and me to showcase our genuine passion and appreciation for the legacy of Dawg and Jerry’s music. By playing some of their beloved repertoire and sharing the original music that our collective has to offer, we will also show the impact that this music has had on our musical voices. Ultimately, there is nothing that makes me happier than playing great songs with my best friends, and I hope to share that happiness with audiences all over!”$20/$25 plus fees. Sunday, Jan. 15, 8pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com
MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR: CELEBRATING 65 YEARS Fronted by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Kurt Elling on vocals with musical director Christian Sands on piano, the sextet also features Lakecia Benjamin on alto saxophone, Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Clarence Penn on drums. The combo of jazz superstars and up-and-comers embodies the “artistry, spirit and fun of the Monterey Jazz Festival,” the longest continuous jazz festival in the world. “We unveiled our new MJF on Tour this year at the Monterey Jazz Festival to a standing ovation and wild cheers,” MJF’s artistic director Tim Jackson says. “It’s an amazing, cross-generational band of very accomplished artists that have special meaning to the Monterey Jazz Festival by the sheer force of their virtuosity and deep soul. Plus, this band is a whole lot of fun!” $68.25/$63; $34/students. Tuesday, Jan. 17, 7pm; 9pm show ($47.25/$52.50; $26.25/students). Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org
COMMUNITY
SANTA CRUZ WARRIORS VS. SIOUX FALLS SKYFORCE You might not get the same dazzling show that you’d expect from a Golden State game amongst 18,000 riled-up fans cheering on Stephen and Draymond at the Chase Center. But the Santa Cruz Warriors—and whoever they play—are far from where the not-quite-good-enough-for-the-NBA players are sent to die. This season, nearly 50% of the NBA is made up of former G leaguers. It wasn’t long ago that Jordan Poole was suiting up for games at the Kaiser Permanente Arena. Now, he’s considered one of the top guards in the NBA. $27.20-$275. Thursday, Jan. 12, 7pm. Kaiser Permanente Arena, 140 Front St., Santa Cruz. santacruz.gleague.nba.com
(POSTPONED) CRUZHACKS 2023 UCSC’s largest hackathon, CruzHacks, is a three-day event where you can work with others on new software and/or hardware projects. Who knows? It might be ground zero for the next Jobs, Gates or Zuckerberg. You’ll be able to build your ideas, network and show off your talent. Ideas can be formed through teams or individually. There are hundreds of students, mentors, sponsors and judges that can help push your vision forward. The event also includes workshops for students of all levels to learn and improve their technical skills. Free (for students, mentors, judges and volunteers). Friday, Jan. 13-Sunday, Jan. 15. UCSC Stevenson Event Center, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. cruzhacks.com
(POSTPONED) MLK MARCH FOR THE DREAM The march will begin at Pacific Avenue and end at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, where there will be a commemoration of the accomplishments of the past and acknowledgment of the “fierce urgency of now” in forming a more just America. Cosponsors are Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center and the Resource Center for Nonviolence. “Radically building the beloved community. Uplift. Heal. Empower.” Free (with registration). Monday, Jan. 16, 10am-1pm. Pacific Avenue and Cathcart Street, Santa Cruz. (Youth Day has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28).naacpsantacruz.com
Laura Hecox spent 50 years as Point Santa Cruz’s lighthouse keeper but did much more than ensure ships found their way through the nighttime fog; she amassed and appreciated the natural world around her. Hecox donated 2,000 items from her vast collection of artifacts and specimens—from ancient nautical fossils to original scientific sketches—to the then-new Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History in 1905.
For Lynn Guenther’s Light of the Bay, a 2022 work of historical fiction based on Hecox’s life, she studied the naturalist’s artifacts to learn more about her untraditional life. Many of those relics, illustrations and scrapbooks are now on display at the Santa Cruz Library’s downtown branch.
“Once I put the book out, I got a lot of feedback from people who said they’d actually never heard of Laura Hecox,” Guenther says. “Which I found surprising. She’s such an interesting role model for so many reasons. Not just as the lighthouse keeper but also being a self-educated scientist. She did amazing research. She dedicated so much of her life to it.”
To create the exhibit, Guenther reached out to museum staff, who she’d worked with closely during her research for the book, including collections manager Kathleen Aston.
“Lynn is passionate about sharing her book, but I think she finds the Laura Hecox story very moving,” Aston says. “We all thought it was a good time to propose the display to the library.”
Guenther appreciates the support from the museum and the library on her book and the exhibit.
“I had a big picture planned,” she says. “Kathleen has assisted me the whole way. It’s really about bringing these collections back to the forefront. The museum has done a great job promoting Laura, and I’m trying to expand on that.”
The exhibit includes artifacts and specimens from the museum’s collection and Hecox’s personal scrapbooks, which the library had already archived.
“A lot of women kept scrapbooks back then,” Guenther explains, “full of locks of hair, poems, tickets to operas. But Laura’s are something else. They are full of newspaper clippings from all over the country. She basically created her own encyclopedias.”
Aston adds, “Those scrapbooks are amazing. They are one of the few windows into her personal life and interests.”
The library’s connection to Hecox goes back to the beginning—the first iteration of the museum opened in the basement of Santa Cruz’s Carnegie Library in 1905.
“This display is a great way to reunite some things from the collection to the scrapbooks, where they were originally displayed,” Aston says. “We thought it was a fun opportunity.”
Guenther hopes the exhibit will inspire people to learn more about local history and appreciate Hecox’s legacy.
“Laura was really at the beginning of the environmental movement,” she says. “She was ahead of her time. She saw the need to preserve and document nature and what was being lost.”
Aston concurs, adding that Hecox accomplished everything without any traditional education.
“[Hecox] lived in a time where if she’d wanted to become an educated scientist, she likely wouldn’t have had access,” Aston says. “And yet she still made all of these observations because she was excited about the world around her. It goes to show that anyone can be a naturalist; it’s just a matter of attention, curiosity and care.”
The Laura Hecox exhibit will be displayed through Jan. 31 at the Santa Cruz Public Library, 224 Church St., Santa Cruz. santacruzpl.org
What the hell is going on with this insane weather? It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 10 days since those first drops of rain fell from the sky. 2023 will be forever known as the year that began with an atmospheric storm that caused more destruction than most of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. Is it a sign? Who’s to say? As you’ll read in this week’s cover story, we have more questions than answers, and so many people need help—our neighbors, our friends, our essential workers who we trust to educate and keep our children safe are suddenly without homes. Even with homeowners and flood insurance, several Santa Cruz County homeowners and small businesses are fighting an uphill financial battle.
On Jan. 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Capitola—where powerful waves destroyed a large section of the wharf and took out a chunk of the historic pier that led to Zelda’s days earlier—as massive cleanup efforts continued. Maybe he has some answers.
In the good news category, Santa Cruz Gives raised $1,107,375.51 for 63 local nonprofits. It wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing sponsors, so let’s acknowledge them all. Thank you to the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins, Driscoll’s, Inc., Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, The Pajaronianand Press Banner.
Remember, Best of Santa Cruz County voting is open through Jan. 31! Show your local love at goodtimes.sc.
ADAM JOSEPH | INTERIM EDITOR
Early in 1982, Andrew Lenz showed me the rising waters of the San Lorenzo River from the rooftop of Lenz Arts. A few hours later, a section of the log-battered Soquel Avenue Bridge fell into the waters below.
Fallen timber also stopped up the Soquel Creek and a muddy puddle swallowed up Porter Street. Lee May and I waded through the publishing company’s offices salvaging business records and typesetting machinery as levels inside rose to the window sills.
In Ben Lomond, a hill slid, crushing homes in mud and killing 10 people. All told, the flood of ’82 was Santa Cruz County’s deadliest natural disaster, with 22 lives lost, more than triple the toll of the Loma Prieta Earthquake seven years later.
Appreciating nature’s power is a lesson that cracks the illusion of safety and climate change denial. I brought my young daughters to Capitola’s Esplanade on Sunday, where they saw the closed and sandbagged restaurants behind chain link fences and yellow police line tape, the bisected wharf and the driftwood covered beach. Below the seawall, they gathered sticks and built a teepee-shaped structure.
My eldest asked me if it would be there tomorrow. I assured her that it would float away when the waters rose or be toppled in a wind gust. Everything we build will be gone someday.
Be safe and mindful in the meantime. The same hydrogen and oxygen molecules that sustain us can take away what they make possible.
DAN PULCRANO | PUBLISHER
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Longtime Santa Cruz artist Brighton Denevan rakes “Persevere” in the sand at Capitola Beach after 50-foot waves crashed into the esplanade. He says that his father is his inspiration. Photograph by Todd Guild.
Submit to ph****@*******es.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
FLOOD LINE If you’ve felt helpless as storms wreak havoc on our beloved county, we offer ways to support our cities and neighbors. Across the county, cities are asking for residents to sign up to help clear debris, manage shelters and fill in for other emergency response roles. Or, if you or someone you know has experienced flooding, you can request volunteer assistance. Whether you want to offer help or need some, check out: scvolunteernow.org
GOOD WORK
HUNGER HELPERS There’s so much we could highlight during this historic storm. Here are just a couple of organizations providing excellent resources for the community. Second Harvest Food Bank is preparing ready-to-eat meals and meal kits for displaced residents: call its hotline at 831-662-0991 for more information. Community Foundation Santa Cruz County created a disaster fund for residents and small business owners: cfscc.org/disaster
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.”
Another consumer home friendly way to save rainwater is the installation of onsite French drains. These are used to capture and settle rainwater into the surrounding ground from gutter drains through percolation, ending in aquifers or possibly feeding nearby creeks and other natural bodies of water.
These are simple to install, requiring digging trenches of appropriate size and length out from the gutters, leading to a larger collection ‘pond’ of greater depth. The trenches have two sided drainpipes connected to the gutters and, when under-filled and backfilled with medium sized drain rock, will carry the gutter based rainwater to a slow percolation into the surrounding soil base. Of course, they do require a permeable or semi permeable soil to accomplish the settling into the ground for the underground movement to be successful. Some Santa Cruz clays or near surface rock would either require more work or be nonviable.
The drain rock can be covered to hide it with a variety of means, I like one that adds a top layer of granite screenings, maybe becoming a landscaped pathway and as adding to the capacity of the system to absorb close by rain top surface water. Covered with various semi permeable materials allows for plantings over the French drain as long as soil isn’t allowed to infiltrate the system.
The installation of this simple system is not beyond the skills for a DYI or a local professional.
The reuse of the flushed millions of gallons of secondarily treated sewage water is still the major crux in a water saver scheme, but multitudes of this simple method over thousands, or more, of homes is both a successful addition as well as a way to be personally better connected to a solution.
John Balawejder, Santa Cruz
These letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@*******es.sc
[Editor’s note: GTs interim editor Adam Joseph has a personal relationship with Amy Thomas.]
On New Year’s Eve, Amy Thomas was planning on having a few friends over to her Watsonville home off College Avenue. The day before, she cleaned and prepared for the small gathering; but nothing could have helped prepare her for the storm.
The evening brought rain, and as darkness fell, Thomas and her 76-year-old mother, who lives in a “granny unit” attached to the home, noticed part of the driveway was immersed in water. They watched helplessly as the water swallowed more of the driveway and crept closer to the house.
Thomas, the principal at Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, called her friends to bring over sandbags. But shortly after lining up sandbags, the water level had already risen to the top of the bags, waterfalling over them and seeping into her mother’s living space.
Thomas received a notification to evacuate after the whole house was submerged in muddy, contaminated water; most of her belongings were ruined (Thomas’ friends have set up a GoFundMe to help her with the staggering, ongoing costs of cleanup and temporary housing).
“We were in a hotel for a couple of days, and now we’re in a rental home that’s way too expensive for us,” Thomas says. “It has completely rocked my world. I lost everything. It’s hard to bounce back when you lose everything.”
Fortunately, Thomas’ 13-year-old and 15-year-old boys were visiting family out of state, but Thomas had to find a place on the fly that was big enough for her kids, her mother and her pair of young doodles. She also had to ensure it was somewhere close to her boys’ schools and Watsonville Charter.
Pinto Lake City Park manager Jesus Madrigal clears a drainpipe in a flooded section of the Watsonville park. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Thomas’ story is similar to most of the population living near Corralitos Creek. The New Year’s Eve storm led to widespread flooding, road closures, evacuations, power outages and toppled power and communication lines; scores of people were trapped in their homes.
But New Year’s Eve was only the first day of a week’s worth of downpours, which has led to devastation across Santa Cruz County. Capitola’s iconic wharf was torn apart, chunks of West Cliff Drive’s sidewalk collapsed into the ocean and Capitola Village’s waterside restaurants are in complete disrepair.
Social media and major news outlets have shared photos and videos that capture Mother Nature’s wrath and destruction. But the devastation endured throughout South County, like Thomas’ neighborhood, has received less attention than the more touristy, wealthier spots, says Watsonville City Councilmember Ari Parker, who represents District 7, the areas that experienced vicious flooding.
“South County rarely gets attention,” Parker notes. “These are seniors; their homes were devastated. I know that it’s not intentional, but in all honesty, after all these years, it seems pretty intentional. The message is that North County is more important than we are.”
Watsonville residents unload appliances, furniture and clothing at a drop site provided by the city on Bridge Street. There were similar piles all over following New Year’s Eve flooding. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
South County continues to get struck. A little over a week after Thomas and her family were displaced, she checked on her home on Monday, Jan. 9.
“It’s flooded again,” she says with frustration. A week ago, she shelled out thousands to a disaster cleanup service to dry out the saturated walls and floors and dispose of the drywall that had already begun to show mold. With more rain expected to continue throughout the week, Thomas and her neighbors have no choice but to wait until it’s over.
As a result, Santa Cruz County has declared a local state of emergency, with initial estimates of damages upwards of $10 million. On Sunday, Jan. 8, the county held a press conference, alerting South County residents to prepare to evacuate—or stay evacuated. If the rainfall reaches expected levels, the county says the Pajaro River has a 60% chance of flooding. Thomas and other residents in the flooded area decry the ill-maintained Corralitos Creek as one of the reasons the flooding was so severe.
But Parker insists there wasn’t much that could have prevented the flooding. Corralitos Creek is under Santa Cruz County’s purview, and city measures to protect flooding, such as a pump station at Vista Montana and an overflow pond at Pajaro Vista, were working.
“You can’t shore up something that doesn’t have a levee,” Parker says. “The priority with the Pajaro River levee project is to fix that whole area with Corralitos Creek.”
Parker is referring to efforts that will restore Pajaro River’s levee to prevent flooding, a project that was stalled for decades and just received funding last October. But it might be too little, too late.
“We need people to understand that this is a very serious event,” Supervisor Zach Friend says at the press conference. “It may be the kind of flooding we haven’t seen here in the last generation.”
After enduring a mighty 40-foot tidal wave, a large portion of the historical pier broke into the Pacific. PHOTO: Sheridan Smith
DAMAGE CONTROL
As the third deluge in a little more than a week bore down upon the Central Coast, Pajaro Valley Unified School District closed 11 of its schools, a measure they said was intended to protect kids and their families from possible flooding. Hours later, the district decided to close all 35 of its schools.
In Mid-County, school officials closed Soquel and Main Street elementary schools.
The moves were one of many preventative measures officials across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties took to protect citizens from floodwaters as rivers and streams neared or exceeded their flood stages.
This included the mandatory evacuation of 4,600 residences in Watsonville, flash flood warnings and the specter of evacuation for many others.
Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin says that 32,000 people countywide were under evacuation orders Monday, although authorities were only enforcing those orders in low-lying communities where floodwaters gather.
Trees crush one lucky guy’s car shortly after he abandons it, avoiding hospitalization or worse. PHOTO: Sheridan Smith
Parts of the San Lorenzo River flooded on Monday, including in Felton Grove and Big Trees, where rescue crews had to use a Jet Ski to aid their efforts.
Officials again closed Highway 1 at the River Street bridge to allow for debris removal.
PG&E reported 102 power outages in Santa Cruz County, impacting 6,224 customers.
That situation was exacerbated by heavy rains, mud, rockslides and fallen trees, which forced crews to stop working for their safety, says PG&E spokeswoman Megan McFarland.
After the Dec. 31 storm, workers with shovels and heavy machinery removed mud and debris from Watsonville homes, driveways and waterways. Residents dug themselves out and threw out furniture, appliances and clothes into giant dumpsters.
“I have no washer, no dryer, no freezer,” Susan Louden, who has lived in her Anderson Drive home for 21 years, says.
The floodwaters entered her garage, destroying the appliances and most of the items stored there; the water bubbled up through her floorboards at one point.
Louden has the flood insurance required of homeowners living in the floodplains of the Pajaro River—and of Corralitos and Salsipuedes Creek—and also has possible financial assistance from FEMA. Since Monday was a federal holiday, Louden waited until Tuesday when a probable slog through mountains of red tape began for her and the other flood victims. The struggle with insurance providers and restoration services had begun—many have had to pay out-of-pocket while awaiting callbacks from adjusters, which still haven’t come.
One of the residents near College Avenue in Watsonville clears away mountains of mud with a shovel before the rain picks up again. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
NEW YEAR NIGHTMARE
While city and county officials anticipated the storm approaching during the new year, the sheer volume of water overwhelmed Corralitos Creek, which overran its banks and flooded several neighborhoods in Watsonville.
Laken Drive resident Michelle Deering says she was rescued in a kayak as waters quickly rose Saturday night.
“I had to act very quickly,” she says. “It was frightening, especially since we had no warning. I didn’t know what was going on. I can tell you this: At the next city council meetings, they are going to hear from me and a lot of other people from around here.”
Laken Drive stems off Holohan Road near Corralitos and Salsipuedes creeks and has been barricaded since Sunday morning due to standing water and scores of damaged homes.
According to Santa Cruz County Flood Manager Mark Strudley, roughly 10 inches fell in the Santa Cruz Mountains—more than twice the amount predicted—partly caused by the storm unexpectedly stalling over the region.
While hundreds of people received mandatory evacuation orders, many residents did not receive the alert or got them too late.
“The reason there was not much warning here—if any warning at all—was that we did not expect this to occur,” Strudley says during a Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency meeting. “We did not expect this level of flooding or breaching of Corralitos Creek to occur.”
As a result, the scope of the evacuation zones was limited to the Orchard Park neighborhood and College Road area, not the city of Watsonville itself.
While the Pajaro River did not reach the 32-foot mark that would have brought it to flood stage, it did reach 22 feet, thanks to runoff from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
But Corralitos Creek peaked at 16.91 feet—nearly a historical level—causing the creek to break from its north and south banks between Green Valley Road and East Lake Avenue near Atkinson Lane. That sent floodwater to Holohan Road, the Orchard Park neighborhood, College Road and several low-lying areas.
Watsonville City Councilwoman Ari Parker says that a more focused level of communication—which includes in-person communication—is essential for the senior communities, which primarily lie in the flood zones.
“That’s been the biggest and most difficult thing for all the seniors in this area, that they don’t always check—a lot of them don’t go online,” Parker says.
The countywide evacuation orders also included parts of Felton and the neighborhoods on either side of Aptos Creek in Rio Del Mar.
On Jan. 2, Santa Cruz County officials declared a local emergency in the wake of the aforementioned atmospheric river winter storm on Dec. 30 and 31 that ravaged roads and infrastructure and caused widespread flooding.
Watsonville followed suit, with City Manager Rene Mendez declaring a local state of emergency due to the significant damages from the storm and floods.
These declarations, expected to be ratified by the jurisdictions’ elected leaders at upcoming meetings, will allow them to request state and federal funding.
Following the sizable tidal wave that split the pier in two, there’s a bit of calm in Capitola Village, giving businesses time to close and residents time to take cover before the next downpour. PHOTO: Sheridan Smith
A LITTLE LIGHT
As rains slowed Monday afternoon—and as residents hard hit by the floods dug out and assessed the damages—there was one ray of sunshine. In Felton, the Loch Lomond reservoir “filled and spilled,” bringing some good news for Santa Cruz.
With the recent rains, Loch Lomond Reservoir is full and spilling onto the Newell Creek Dam spillway for the first time since February 2019.
Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the reservoir holds 2.8 billion gallons—about a yearlong supply for residents—and is Santa Cruz’s primary drinking water source.
“Having a full reservoir is a great way to start 2023,” says Eileen Cross, the community relations specialist at the city water department.
But California needs much more. Since 2019, the state has endured the driest three-year period on record from 1896, California Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Akiela Moses says.
California’s water deficit will take time—and much more rain and snow—to erase. In some ways, it’s been a good start to the year, but the wet season is only half over.
Central reservoir storage remains below average, and conditions could turn dry, offsetting the recent onslaught of precipitation. Moses says groundwater levels in much of the state have also been depleted by the numerous dry years in the last two decades. Groundwater levels would take more than a single wet year to improve substantially statewide.
BATTERED BUSINESSES
Some of Capitola’s most iconic restaurants may be forced to shutter forever following the beating the beachfront esplanade endured. While some businesses got away with minor water damage lapping at their doors, others—particularly those lining the beachside along the Esplanade—fared far worse.
When a large chunk of the Capitola pier collapsed into the roaring seas, powerful waves carried a massive support beam and debris through the front wall of the infamous restaurant Zelda’s on the Beach. The local staple has been a favorite for over forty years, but with severe damages, its fate is unclear. Good Times could not reach Zelda’s’ owners during evacuation orders and preparations for continued storms.
Margaritaville, a first-story waterfront restaurant that has persisted over 30 years and through a change of ownership, was also hard hit. They announced on their Instagram that they would be closed through the end of January for repairs.
But some businesses in the village took to Instagram to remind residents that some shops remained open and needed local support.
In the wake of the damaging surges and impending storms, the Capitola City Council declared a state of emergency on Friday. The city is still working on estimating the cost of damages to property as businesses assess their ability to rebound.
Buildings along the Esplanade now have a green, yellow or red tag from the city, indicating if they are ready to reopen, have limited access for business owners to begin repairs or are entirely off-limits due to severe damage.
Sandbags continue to line the entrances to Capitola businesses, hoping to keep out the tides and torrential rain still to come.
TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
On Sunday, Jan. 8, President Biden declared a State of Emergency in California, allowing federal aid assistance. It came just in time. Monday, Jan. 9, marked one of several of the storm’s most powerful crescendos. The National Weather Service issued flood watches for over 34 million Californians—roughly 90% of the state’s population, and all Pajaro Valley Unified School District schools are closed through Tuesday, Jan. 10—at the least—which impacts more than 18,000 students. The gusty winds, rain, flooding and rapid water rising in local rivers haven’t ceased, and the NWS expects an onslaught of mudslides, landslides and debris flows. So, the ruthless procession of atmospheric rivers continues to pummel Santa Cruz County and the rest of the Central Coast.
On Jan. 9, the disaster cleanup company alerted Amy Thomas, who had already shelled out thousands for drying her home on New Year’s Day, to let her know that her house had flooded again. They will return after this storm segment passes; the police shut down street access to her home as they spoke, and it was officially “red tagged.” Her situation is not unique, unfortunately. And there’s no definitive answer as to when this weather will cease. The NWS reported on Jan. 10: “In the short term, there’s no end in sight to these storms through the end of the month.”
ALL ABOARD THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
The science behind bomb cyclones and atmospheric rivers
As streets flood and waters rage throughout central and northern California, headlines warn of “bomb cyclones”—sounds like something from a Looney Tunes cartoon. Also, how are pineapples involved?
When cold and warm air masses collide, the denser, cold air pushes the lighter, warm air up and out of its way. This movement creates wind and causes a drop in atmospheric pressure. This drop in pressure can act like a vacuum, sucking more air in and up. In short, a bomb cyclone is a storm that intensifies very quickly.
To qualify as a bomb cyclone, the atmospheric pressure in a storm must drop by a specific amount within 24 hours. That threshold amount changes depending on the latitude.
This process, known as bombogenesis, creates intense winter storms known for high winds and extreme precipitation.
These storms are often fed by atmospheric rivers: bands of water vapor high in the atmosphere transported around the globe by jet streams. California depends on atmospheric rivers. They provide up to half of the annual precipitation for the state. But while they can fill reservoirs, they can also bring floods.
A Pineapple Express is a specific type of atmospheric river that draws moisture from the tropical Pacific near Hawaii and funnels it to the west coast. Even in the absence of a bomb cyclone, these atmospheric rivers can dump inches of rain in short periods of time. Researchers predict that climate change will make certain atmospheric rivers larger, likely resulting in oscillations between droughts and deluges.
Santa Cruz County water districts are preparing for this climate chaos with several projects attempting to capture and store excess stormwater runoff, such as injecting treated runoff into the groundwater basin through the City of Santa Cruz’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project. The recent storm will put this and other strategies to the test.
STORM RESOURCES
Shelter space is available throughout Santa Cruz County to assist the nearly 32,000 residents—and their pets—who’ve had to evacuate their homes. The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Cabrillo College, Scotts Valley Community Center and Jade Street Community Center are among several now available to evacuees.
The Community Foundation’s Disaster Fund is helping nonprofits respond to the ongoing storms in the Pajaro Valley, San Lorenzo Valley, Capitola and other affected areas. Click HERE to contribute.
The recent storm littered local beaches with driftwood and trash. Plastic pieces of all sizes tumbled in the surf and settled into the rubble. But the storm didn’t bring the plastic—it just highlighted its existence.
Some of the particles will get picked up by volunteers and mindful beachgoers. But lots of it will wash back out to sea and break down into smaller and smaller pieces.
When it degrades to less than five millimeters long—about the size of a pencil eraser—it’s microplastic. In a recent study, scientists found microplastics inside an alarming number of seabirds and anchovies from Monterey Bay. The research, published in the scientific journal Environmental Pollution, also suggested that some particles could disrupt hormones, potentially spelling trouble for wildlife populations.
Piecing it Together
Sami Michishita led the research as a graduate student at UCSC. She knew she wanted to study seabirds and plastics before she began her degree, and the Monterey Bay proved an excellent place to do it.
She chose to examine common murres—sea birds that spend most of their time on the open ocean and feed on small fish—and anchovies.
“Common murres are a resident bird species, so they’re a good indicator of what’s going on in the Monterey Bay,” says Myra Finkelstein, Michishita’s advisor and an adjunct professor in the microbiology and environmental toxicology department at UCSC. “They’re an ecologically important species. And so are anchovies.”
Common murres eat anchovies, which was a vital link for the research. Some toxins transfer from prey to predators in a process called trophic transfer. These toxins can then accumulate in greater concentrations in animals that are higher on the food web. Ecologists call this sequence of events biomagnification.
Scientists are still trying to determine whether microplastics biomagnify like this in food webs, so Michishita compared microplastics collected from seawater, anchovies and murres. She found similar types of microparticles in all three.
“We can’t 100 percent say that the murres had plastic in their stomachs because they ate anchovies that had plastic in their stomachs,” says Michishita. “But we found a lot of similar types of plastics—polyesters—in both digestive tracts.”
The scientists received anchovies from a sustainable Community Supported Fishery group based in Santa Cruz. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Seabird Health Program provided samples from common murres.
The team found human-sourced microparticles in the digestive tracts of 58% of the anchovies they sampled and 100% of the murres. Of that, over 57% were confirmed as plastic using spectroscopy.
“The majority of work to see how much plastic is in seabirds has looked at the macro plastic—the bigger pieces that you can see with your naked eye—and in those studies, less than 10 percent of murres were found to have plastic,” says Finkelstein. “But the fact that now we looked at these smaller little pieces, where we have to use a microscope, and found 100 percent of them had these microparticles, to me, was really alarming. And also, unfortunately, probably illustrates that these little microparticles are everywhere.”
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) scientists also study microplastics with a five-year monitoring plan.
“We know it’s fairly ubiquitous in the marine environment; we just don’t know what the long-term implications are,” says Chad King, a federal ecologist at MBNMS. “We don’t know the long-term health effects on not only human health but the marine ecosystem itself.”
To learn more about the issue in Monterey Bay, the sanctuary is developing a pilot program for monitoring microplastics in beach sand.
“We need to start answering the questions of ‘where’s it coming from,’ and ‘what can we do to reduce the amount,’” says King.
For example, if most of the microplastics are microfibers, that might suggest local laundry machines as a source. But the researchers don’t expect determining sources or solutions to be simple.
“At this point, it’s coming from everywhere, and we can’t just find a single source. It’s such a global problem,” says Lisa Uttal, the education and outreach specialist for MBNMS.
Still, the sanctuary is working to spread awareness among community members. A water quality team works with the agricultural industry to encourage best practices surrounding the plastic sheeting used in fields, for example.
“It is a high priority of the sanctuary to address this issue,” says King. “And we have a long-term action plan, and we’ve committed a lot of resources and staff time to address this issue.”
Hormone Havoc
One of the reasons scientists are so committed to studying microplastics is the detrimental health effects they could have on people and animals.
Some chemicals used in plastics have similar structures to hormones and can bind to hormone receptors in the body. These are known as endocrine disruptors, and one of the most infamous examples is Bisphenol A, commonly called BPA.
Endocrine disruptors can wreak havoc on the body’s development, reproductive system and immune system. They’ve been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, early puberty, fertility irregularities and brain development disruptions, among other effects.
These consequences are well established, but few studies have involved microplastics. And few microplastics studies involve testing their ability to disrupt hormones.
“A lot of studies stop at just looking at how much plastic is present,” says Michishita. “We took it a step further by actually leaching those plastics to get additive chemicals from that plastic and seeing if they could activate estrogen receptors.”
They could.
The scientists worked with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and found that about a fourth of the murres had microparticles inside their guts that could activate human estrogen receptors.
“It could mean that in addition to the microplastic inside, they may be causing some sort of harm in terms of inflammation in the digestive system and localized effects. They might also be leaching toxic chemicals that could be impacting the murres’ ability to reproduce or shorten their lifespan,” says Finkelstein.
Her lab will continue investigating the biological impacts in collaboration with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
“This is a really big problem of our generation,” says Finkelstein. “Plastic production is exponentially increasing. And on the other side, this plastic pollution will also keep increasing exponentially. And we need to figure out as a society what we’re going to do about this unless we want to live in a plastic-polluted world.”
Although the problem can feel overwhelming, Finkelstein encourages action.
“I think people on an individual basis can do their part in terms of trying to minimize their own plastic use—especially single-use plastics,” she says. “But I think more importantly, support politicians that care about this issue and might make these more difficult changes that we have to do and invest money in research to try to think of alternatives—I believe we can fix this issue; we just have to prioritize it.”
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nigerian author Wole Soyinka reworked the ancient Greek play The Bacchae. In one passage, the god Dionysus criticizes King Pentheus, who is supposedly all-powerful. “You are a man of chains,” Dionysus tells him. “You love chains. You breathe chains, talk chains, eat chains, dream chains, think chains. Your world is bound in manacles.” The bad news, Aries, is that many of us have some resemblances to Pentheus. The good news is that the coming months will be a favorable time to shed at least some of your chains. Have fun liberating yourself! Try to help a few others wriggle free from their chains, too. Doing so will aid your own emancipation.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming weeks will be a great time to fill your journal with more intense ruminations than you have for many moons. If you don’t have a journal, think about starting one. Reveal yourself to yourself, Taurus! Make conscious that which has been vague, unnamed or hiding. Here are assignments to help launch your flood of intimate self-talk. 1. Write passionately about an experience you’ve always wanted to try but have never done. 2. Conduct imaginary interviews with people who rouse strong feelings in you. 3. Describe what deity, superhero or animal you are and how your special intelligence works. 4. Visualize a dream in which you appear as a bolder, more confident version of yourself. 5. Talk about a time you felt rousingly alive and how you plan to feel that way again.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A stranger approached me at Wild Birds Unlimited, a store that sells bird food and accessories. “You write the horoscopes, right?” she asked. “I’m a Gemini, and I want to thank you for helping me tone down my relentless fidgeting. You made me realize I have been secretly proud of tapping my fingers on the table while talking with people, and constantly darting my eyes around the room to check out the ever-changing views. I’d unconsciously believed that stuff was a sign of my incredible vitality. But you’ve been a steadying influence. You’ve shown me ways to settle down and focus my energy better. I can see how restlessness sometimes saps my energy.” I told the woman, “You’re welcome!” and let her know that 2023 will be a favorable time to do much more of this good work. Homework: Meditate on channeling your incredible vitality into being grounded and centered.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to Cancerian author Ronald Sukenick, the writer’s work is “to destroy restrictive viewpoints, notice the unnoticed, speak the unspeakable, shake stale habits, ward off evil, give vent to sorrow, pulverize doctrine, attack and uphold tradition as needed and make life worth living.” I believe 2023 will be an excellent time for you to carry out those actions, even if you’re not a writer. You will have abundant power to bless and heal through creative rebellion and disruption. You will thrive as you seek out interesting novelty.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Psychotherapist Ryan Howes has wisdom you’ll benefit from heeding in the coming weeks. “We need to accept our age,” he writes. “We need to accept illnesses and addictions. We need to accept the past. We need to accept others as they are.” He goes on to say that this doesn’t mean we must like all these situations. And we can certainly try to make the best of them. But when we don’t struggle in vain to change what’s beyond our control to change, we have more energy for things that we can actually affect.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here’s testimony from musician Pharrell Williams: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.'” Yes! This is an apt message for you, Virgo. The best way for you to generate motivation and excitement in the coming weeks will be to explore what is lacking, what is invisible, what’s lost or incomplete. Check in with your deep intuition right now. Do you feel a stirring in your gut? It may tell you where to find important and intriguing things that are missing.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Every animal knows far more than you do,” declares a proverb of the Nimíipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce. Author Russell Banks provides further testimony to convince us we should be humble about our powers of awareness. “There is a wonderful intelligence to the unconscious,” he says. “It’s always smarter than we are.” These are good pointers for you to heed in the coming weeks, Libra. You will have a special power to enhance your understanding of the world by calling on the savvy of animals and your unconscious mind. They will be especially rich sources of wisdom. Seek out their educational input!
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist Carl Jung said that the whole point of Jesus Christ’s story was not that we should become exactly like him. Rather, we should aspire to be our best and highest selves in the same way that he fulfilled his unique mission. So Jesus was not the great exception, but rather the great example. I bring these meditations to your attention, Scorpio, because I believe life in 2023 will conspire to make you, more than ever before, the hero of your own destiny. You will be inspired to honor only your own standards of success and reject all others’. You will clearly see that you are progressing at your own natural and righteous pace, which is why it makes no sense to compare your evolution to anyone else’s.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A reader named Mary Roseberry describes her experience of being a Sagittarius: “I hate to be bored. I hate imperfections. I hate to wait. I hate sadness. I hate conflict. I hate to be wrong. I hate tension.” Wow! I admire Mary’s succinct understanding of who she doesn’t want to be and what she doesn’t like to do. I invite you to compose a similar testimony. You would benefit from getting clear about the experiences you intend to avoid in 2023. Once you have done that, write a list of the interesting feelings and situations you will seek out with intense devotion during the coming months.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When he was 74 years old, Capricorn author Norman Maclean published his first novel, A River Runs Through It. It became a best-seller. Capricorn film director Takeshi Kitano directed his first film at age 42. Now 75, he has since won many awards for his work in his native Japan. Capricorn activist Melchora Aquino, who was a leader in the Philippines’ fight for independence from Spain, launched her career as a revolutionary when she was in her eighties. She’s known as the “Mother of the Revolution.” I hope these heroes inspire you, dear Capricorn. I believe that 2023 is the year you will get an upgrade in any area of your life where you have seemed to be a late bloomer.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will soon be called upon to summon grace under pressure; to express magnanimity while being challenged; to prove that your devotion to your high standards is more important than the transitory agendas of your ego. The good news is that you are primed and ready to succeed at these exact assignments. I have confidence in your power to activate the necessary courage and integrity with maximum poise and composure.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “By dying daily, I have come to be,” wrote poet Theodore Roethke. He didn’t mean he suffered literal deaths. He was referring to the discipline of letting go of the past; shedding worn-out habits; leaving behind theories and attitudes that once served him well but no longer did; killing off parts of himself that were interfering with the arrival of the fresh future. I recommend his strategy to you, Pisces. To the degree that you agree to die daily, you will earn the right to be reborn big-time in a few weeks.
Tidal waves, demolished piers, debris-littered beaches and roads, flooding, power outages, widespread evacuations and closures leave Santa Cruz County shell-shocked—and it’s not over.
