The Latest Breaking News from Pajaro

Five major floods followed Pajaro's 1949 levee construction; a 2023 breach sent water through homes within 3 hours and costing $300 million; UC Berkeley researchers are now recreating the watershed digitally to show how new barriers could change the next flood

Flood risk is hard to picture until water is inside your home. UC Berkeley researchers are building a digital twin of California’s Lower Pajaro River Valley to change that. The virtual model can show how floodwater may move through communities, what levee upgrades could change, and where climate change may…

The Economic Times · Aug 17

In the wake of winter storm damage, Pajaro River flood-control efforts slide

Just months after a levee failure inundated the small farmworker community of Pajaro, Calif., and sent thousands fleeing, cracks have already begun forming in the regional agency tasked with maintaining flood infrastructure.

Los Angeles Times · Jun 30, 2023

‘We all want to be home’: California town faces slow recovery after historic flood

The low-income community of Pajaro was devastated by floodwaters last month, but help with cleanup is hard to find

The Guardian - US · Apr 10, 2023

In Pajaro, children and teens grapple with displacement after flooding

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — The school buses arrived in quick succession, looping past the entrance of the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds and a parking lot packed with cars before stopping near Harvest Building, a low-slung yellow structure usually used for fundraisers.

Los Angeles Times · Mar 25, 2023

'They let us down': California flooding victims demand answers as town hall devolves into shouting match

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Nearly two weeks after a levee failure forced hundreds of families in the small Monterey County community of Pajaro to leave their homes in the middle of the night, both county officials and residents are demanding answers for why federal assistance promised by the governor has yet…

Tribune News Service · Mar 23, 2023

How a long history of racism and neglect set the stage for Pajaro flooding

PAJARO, Calif. — Maria Martinez felt nauseated as she and her son crossed the Pajaro River Bridge into Watsonville, in Santa Cruz County.

Los Angeles Times · Mar 22, 2023

Commentary: What happened in Pajaro isn’t just a ‘natural’ disaster

In the last few years, California has experienced extreme wildfires, heat waves and the ever-present COVID-19 pandemic. What has become abundantly clear, particularly from the ravages of the pandemic on low-income communities of color, is that disaster risk is not an equal-opportunity affair.

Los Angeles Times · Mar 20, 2023

Who deserves a levee? The fight to save California communities from flooding

The tiny town of Hamilton City sits in the direct path of the mighty Sacramento River, muddy and swollen by this week’s storms.

Tribune News Service · Mar 19, 2023

Golden State Goes Gray: Californians Battle Floods As Record-Setting Rainfall Showers L.A.

This week, California was inundated by yet another wave of storms that brought the state record-breaking rainfall.

Zenger · Mar 16, 2023

First Thing: Autopsy of ‘Cop City’ activist shot by police still incomplete

Manuel Paez Terán’s family say other state agencies have also failed to release information about activist’s death. Plus, how the first Twitter-fuelled bank run played out

The Guardian - UK · Mar 16, 2023