We had to get our rain jackets out this week as an atmospheric river moved across Northern California. Don’t put them away just yet - another storm is in the forecast for early next week. The Monterey Bay area has received more rain this month than the past two Decembers combined, according to Brian Garcia with the National Weather Service. “It’s a leap forward to alleviating drought concerns,” he told KAZU.
Garcia said to date, the Santa Cruz mountains are sitting at over 200% rainfall for the water year, which starts Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30. If the rain stops coming, that percentage would dwindle rapidly because we’re in our core wet months. However, Garcia said we are expecting to remain in an active pattern going into the New Year.
Atmospheric rivers are important, making up about half of the average annual precipitation in California. But they can be dangerous. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, officials with the county believe a debris flow likely occurred on Foreman Creek. Dark muddy water, lots of debris and unstable banks were reported. Boulder Creek Fire evacuated seven homes along the creek.
These storms are likely to become more intense due to climate change, and that’s especially concerning to some of California’s most vulnerable residents. In Santa Cruz, the torrential rain early this week threatened the lives of hundreds of unhoused people that live along the banks of the San Lorenzo River. A drone video captured the extent of the flooding caused by the rising river.
KAZU’s Jerimiah Oetting visited the city-sanctioned Benchlands encampment, where tents had already begun to flood early Monday afternoon. You can read and listen to his story here.
Marine scientists have a new tool in their research toolbox…and it flies. Using drones equipped with high quality cameras, the scientists can perform wildlife counts and map sensitive areas from the sky. One such project is the restoration of the Elkhorn Slough. Human activity damaged the 1,700-acre estuary over the past century. Now foundations and the federal government are working to restore the seven-mile-long slough. This week, KAZU’s Doug McKnight reported on that effort and how drones from CSUMB are monitoring the project from the air.
If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, consider visiting Pacific Grove’s monarch butterfly sanctuary. Thousands of monarchs are spending the winter there. It’s an amazing sight to see, especially because no monarchs showed up last year. As of this Friday, more than 14,000 monarchs have been counted. This week, KAZU’s Erika Mahoney reported that the magic is back in Butterfly Town, U.S.A. If you visit Pacific Grove’s sanctuary, it can be hard to spot these butterflies. Look for brown clusters hanging from tree limbs, kind of like Christmas ornaments. Monarchs gather like this to stay warm. You can also see monarchs at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz.
The State of the Pandemic
California announced an indoor mask mandate ahead of the holidays until at least Jan. 15. In a statement, the California Department of Public Health said the order is an “added layer of mitigation” as the Omicron variant spreads across California. The agency’s data shows that seven-day average case rates have increased 47% since Thanksgiving.
The first reported case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. was discovered in the Bay Area on Dec. 1. It’s also been detected in the wastewater of Sacramento and Merced. Public health officials across the Bay Area, including Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, are urging people to get their booster shots. As of Friday, just 37% of eligible Santa Cruz County residents have received a booster. Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said it’s only a matter of time until Omicron is circulating in our area.
Indeed, the most recent data from CDPH shows that cases are on the rise in Monterey and San Benito Counties, with Santa Cruz County showing a slight drop from the previous week.
That’s it for this week! The Friday News Roundup will resume after the holidays. See you next year! You can sign up to receive the newsletter from KAZU, right to your inbox. Just visit kazu.org/newsletter to subscribe.
Until then,
The KAZU Team