Santa Cruz County Suffers $55M In Damages From Recent Storms
The atmospheric river that swept through California in recent weeks caused more than $55M in damage in Santa Cruz County, according to city officials.
David Reid, director of Santa Cruz County’s Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, told the Silicon Valley Business Journal that estimates for road repair costs in unincorporated parts of the county have hit over $21M, and there was an estimated $5M to $10M in lost revenue for local businesses. He did not break down the remainder of the $55M total damage estimate.
Reid added that those estimates are expected to increase as the county finds more damages.
Santa Cruz County was one of the hardest hit by the storms in Northern California, and President Joe Biden authorized a major disaster declaration for the county over the weekend.
"Many businesses in the area have sustained damage and interruptions due to the recent storms, some of the worst in Capitola, as we all know," Zoe Carter, executive director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council, told the SVBJ. Carter also said that a large number of the state’s evacuees came from Santa Cruz County.
Capitola Village, a development with more than 60 shops and restaurants, sustained severe structural damage, especially to its wharf.
