Storm Update

Pictured: view of the San Lorenzo River from 701 Ocean St

The current weather system has largely passed us. The San Lorenzo River and creeks in north and central county are expected to begin receding. The Pajaro River could still rise further, surrounding areas should stay on alert.

There is flooding in Soquel Village. Residents were evacuated from Soquel Wharf Road and Old Mill Mobile Home park early this morning. The Village is closed to automobile traffic, which means that the Soquel San Jose Rd is closed as well.

Other major road closures include:

• Highway 17 Southbound. A large slide will take approximately 24hrs to clear. 
• Highway 152
• Highway 129
• Highway 9

Highway 1 is currently the only way in and out of the County.

For more information on road closures use these links:

County Road Closures

Caltrans Road Closures

Another weather system is expected tonight. It is smaller than the one we just experienced, but the same areas that have experienced flooding should remain on alert. To put it in context, our County has received more than 20 inches of rain since Christmas and all of our soils are completely saturated. This means that even a small amount of rain can greatly impact creeks and rivers.

You can see a live map of evacuation orders and warnings here:

https://aware.zonehaven.com/

Shelters are available at the following locations: 

1. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
2. Cabrillo College
3. Scotts Valley Community Center
4. Resurrection Church
5. 7th Day Adventist

A live list of shelter sites is available here:

https://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/OR3/ShelterInformation.aspx 

All other information about the County's disaster response, including requesting flood clean-up and volunteering, is available here:

https://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/OR3/Emergency.aspx

Highlights on Tomorrow's

Board of Supervisors Agenda

Item 8. Consider resolution ratifying the proclamation of a Local Emergency for the December 2022 Atmospheric River Winter Storm event ...

Initial damages for these events are estimated at over $15,000,000 and this does not include preparation, response, and sheltering costs. The Board's approval of this resolution will allow the County of Santa Cruz to seek state and federal assistance, typically 75% of the damage totals.

This will also start the process for businesses to be able to apply for assistance from the Small Business Association. We will release more details about this process as soon as it is available.

We expect there to be some state and federal assistance to low-income residents for home damage. Although, our experience with the CZU Fires is that this can be slow to arrive. The best thing to do at this stage is to document everything for claims. 

The County will also work closely with the Community Foundation, Community Bridges and the Community Action Board and other non-profits to get resources to people in need. You can donate to the Santa Cruz Disaster Fund here or volunteer with the Volunteer Center here.