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As of this writing, we have learned that President Joe Biden plans to visit California on Thursday to survey the storm's impact on Central Coast communities, but exactly where has yet to be announced. The announcement, made Monday, comes a day after the President granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the state, designating Santa Cruz County as one of the first recipients of this federal assistance. The move comes after U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) led his California colleagues in Congress in asking for that presidential designation to receive federal support for emergency work and repairs, as well as individual assistance for individuals and families. A bipartisan letter on behalf of Congressman Panetta and 38 California Congressional delegation to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Highway Administrator (FHWA) Shailen Bhatt has also requested expedited support, funding, and other assistance to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to Santa Cruz County businesses and residents as a result of President Biden’s major disaster declaration. The declaration covers Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz counties due to the severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began on Dec. 27, 2022. > Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment inventory, and other business assets. > Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations in need of working capital as a result of the disaster, regardless of any property damage. >Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Last week our local public sector leaders (city, county, state and federal) toured the disaster zones along our coastal areas with state and federal emergency agencies so an initial damage assessment could begin the emergency recovery response. Governor Newsom was in town to see first hand how the winter storms, atmospheric river rain and huge waves have taken their toll on our Central Coast. This sets the stage of declared emergency assistance to come to our region and acts as a formal request to place a FEMA Disaster Assistance Center in our county. People who have resided in the county for any length of time know very well that the Santa Cruz County region has resiliency to overcome natural and man-made disasters. Many of our elected officials have first hand knowledge of dealing with disasters. Lookout Santa Cruz’s Mark Conley wrote a great story about our region framed through an interview with State Senator John Laird — https://lookout.co/santacruz/coast-life/story/2023-01-17/storm-weather-santa-cruz-senator-john-laird-natural-disaster. Senator Laird preceptive comments can be echoed by other long time residents. He said, “For a compact area that is reasonably populated, Santa Cruz just seems to have more issues per capita.” I agree. When I first moved to Santa Cruz County back in 1982, working as a staff assistant to Congressman Ed Zschau who represented parts of Santa Cruz County at the time, I was thrown knee deep into disaster 101 training. I handled multiple inquiries about the floods, winter storms, and mudslides up in San Lorenzo Valley. Disasters continued throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s during my stint working for Congressmen who represented this area. The 1985 Lexington Fire, the 1988 storm, the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and the deep freeze in 1991. Santa Cruz County was nicknamed the #1 disaster county by folks in Washington DC who remarked — another disaster in California and here comes Santa Cruz County asking for state and federal support. What is not told often enough is the resiliency of our people — rolling up our sleeves and going out into the disaster zones to help strangers, friends, neighbors, and others that have lost homes, personal and business property and sometimes lives. I am particularly proud of the work that our local community foundations do at a moment’s notice when disaster strikes. The Community Foundation Santa Cruz County has activated a local disaster fund to support local nonprofits responding to the atmospheric river storm and flooding. The Community Foundation for San Benito County has opened the San Benito Disaster Recovery Fund to aid residents experiencing hardships due to the current weather and related flooding, and the Monterey County Storm Relief Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County will assist those affected by the winter storm damage. There are many ways that we all can help. Whether it's volunteering at a warming center or helping with sandbagging, there are many ways to get involved in clean-up and recovery efforts. For details, visit the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center website or call (831) 475-5935. Gift cards to local hardware and supply stores can also be dropped off at the Jade Street Community Center at 4400 Jade Street, Capitola. The storms have caused — and continue to cause — devastating impacts to Seacliff State Beach. Core elements of Seacliff State Beach’s critical infrastructure and visitor amenities have suffered immense damage that will be assessed in the coming weeks and months, with clean-up response and recovery planning already underway. Recovery from this climate-driven disaster will take time and require significant resources. If you would like to support Seacliff State Beach during the recovery process, please visit www.ThatsMyPark.org to make a donation or send a check to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks that notes “For Seacliff”: 1543 Pacific Ave., Suite 206, Santa Cruz CA 95060. The hard-work begins with fluid conversations and tough decisions on how we recover the damages on West Cliff Drive, Capitola Village and the pier, Seacliff beach, the cement ship and the pier, San Lorenzo Valley and the San Lorenzo River, the low lying flood areas in Watsonville along the Pajaro River and the many rural county roads throughout Santa Cruz County. It will take more than state and federal funds to bring back many of our natural treasures, but I am convinced that through these candid conversations working together we can and will recover.
As of this writing, we have learned that President Joe Biden plans to visit California on Thursday to survey the storm's impact on Central Coast communities, but exactly where has yet to be announced. The announcement, made Monday, comes a day after the President granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the state, designating Santa Cruz County as one of the first recipients of this federal assistance. The move comes after U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) led his California colleagues in Congress in asking for that presidential designation to receive federal support for emergency work and repairs, as well as individual assistance for individuals and families.
A bipartisan letter on behalf of Congressman Panetta and 38 California Congressional delegation to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Highway Administrator (FHWA) Shailen Bhatt has also requested expedited support, funding, and other assistance to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to Santa Cruz County businesses and residents as a result of President Biden’s major disaster declaration. The declaration covers Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz counties due to the severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began on Dec. 27, 2022.
> Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment inventory, and other business assets.
> Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations in need of working capital as a result of the disaster, regardless of any property damage.
>Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Last week our local public sector leaders (city, county, state and federal) toured the disaster zones along our coastal areas with state and federal emergency agencies so an initial damage assessment could begin the emergency recovery response. Governor Newsom was in town to see first hand how the winter storms, atmospheric river rain and huge waves have taken their toll on our Central Coast. This sets the stage of declared emergency assistance to come to our region and acts as a formal request to place a FEMA Disaster Assistance Center in our county. People who have resided in the county for any length of time know very well that the Santa Cruz County region has resiliency to overcome natural and man-made disasters. Many of our elected officials have first hand knowledge of dealing with disasters. Lookout Santa Cruz’s Mark Conley wrote a great story about our region framed through an interview with State Senator John Laird — https://lookout.co/santacruz/coast-life/story/2023-01-17/storm-weather-santa-cruz-senator-john-laird-natural-disaster. Senator Laird preceptive comments can be echoed by other long time residents. He said, “For a compact area that is reasonably populated, Santa Cruz just seems to have more issues per capita.” I agree.
When I first moved to Santa Cruz County back in 1982, working as a staff assistant to Congressman Ed Zschau who represented parts of Santa Cruz County at the time, I was thrown knee deep into disaster 101 training. I handled multiple inquiries about the floods, winter storms, and mudslides up in San Lorenzo Valley. Disasters continued throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s during my stint working for Congressmen who represented this area. The 1985 Lexington Fire, the 1988 storm, the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and the deep freeze in 1991. Santa Cruz County was nicknamed the #1 disaster county by folks in Washington DC who remarked — another disaster in California and here comes Santa Cruz County asking for state and federal support. What is not told often enough is the resiliency of our people — rolling up our sleeves and going out into the disaster zones to help strangers, friends, neighbors, and others that have lost homes, personal and business property and sometimes lives.
I am particularly proud of the work that our local community foundations do at a moment’s notice when disaster strikes. The Community Foundation Santa Cruz County has activated a local disaster fund to support local nonprofits responding to the atmospheric river storm and flooding. The Community Foundation for San Benito County has opened the San Benito Disaster Recovery Fund to aid residents experiencing hardships due to the current weather and related flooding, and the Monterey County Storm Relief Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County will assist those affected by the winter storm damage.
There are many ways that we all can help. Whether it's volunteering at a warming center or helping with sandbagging, there are many ways to get involved in clean-up and recovery efforts. For details, visit the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center website or call (831) 475-5935. Gift cards to local hardware and supply stores can also be dropped off at the Jade Street Community Center at 4400 Jade Street, Capitola.
The storms have caused — and continue to cause — devastating impacts to Seacliff State Beach. Core elements of Seacliff State Beach’s critical infrastructure and visitor amenities have suffered immense damage that will be assessed in the coming weeks and months, with clean-up response and recovery planning already underway. Recovery from this climate-driven disaster will take time and require significant resources. If you would like to support Seacliff State Beach during the recovery process, please visit www.ThatsMyPark.org to make a donation or send a check to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks that notes “For Seacliff”: 1543 Pacific Ave., Suite 206, Santa Cruz CA 95060.
The hard-work begins with fluid conversations and tough decisions on how we recover the damages on West Cliff Drive, Capitola Village and the pier, Seacliff beach, the cement ship and the pier, San Lorenzo Valley and the San Lorenzo River, the low lying flood areas in Watsonville along the Pajaro River and the many rural county roads throughout Santa Cruz County. It will take more than state and federal funds to bring back many of our natural treasures, but I am convinced that through these candid conversations working together we can and will recover.