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The History of Floods on the San Lorenzo River
in the City of Santa Cruz
By Daniel McMahon
From "The Big Flood-California 1955" by the California Disaster Office
CONTENTS
Introduction and Early History
Floods and Flood Control on the San Lorenzo River in the City of Santa Cruz
Table of Floods: Recorded Floods on the San Lorenzo River in the City of Santa Cruz
Degree of Damage and Public Reaction to Floods
Bibliography
1
�Introduction and Early History
18 Floods on the San Lorenzo River in 10 Decades
The downtown area of the City of Santa Cruz has been located in the floodplain of the San
Lorenzo River since the 1860's. This has been made apparent to Santa Cruzans many times
between 1862 and 1982, when the river has flooded or threatened to flood parts of the town.
There were more than 18 incidents described as "floods" between 1862 and 1958, though
these recorded floods have varied in severity from minor inconveniences to major disasters for
the city. A table of the dates and levels of these floods is included, as is an article on flood
control, and the bibliography of the sources for these articles.
Santa Cruz on Dec. 23, 1955, as the "Christmas Flood" of 1955
recedes. The Riverside Avenue Bridge is in the upper right
center, and Beach Hill is on the right. Note the sand island in
the lower reach of the San Lorenzo River, removed during
construction of the levees, 1958-59. Note also the trees lining
the river channel, and the buildings on both banks where the
levees are today.
From "The Big Flood-California 1955"
Earliest Recorded History of Floods: Mission Santa Cruz, 1791-1799
The San Lorenzo River was named by the Portola Expedition on Oct. 17, 1769, and was an
important part of what made the future site of Santa Cruz attractive for the founding of a
mission. The expedition of 1769 found the river to be two to three feet deep and "18 varas" or
about 50 feet wide on that October day. The site was officially chosen for a mission in 1774, and
the mission was established late in 1791. A temporary church and several other buildings were
quickly built but, "...it was soon found that the new establishment was too near the river and
had to be rebuilt on higher land." The cornerstone of a new church (the historically known
mission chapel of 1793-1850's) was "laid on higher land" on Feb. 27, 1793. The exact site of that
first, temporary church is unknown today, but to be threatened by the river, it must have been
either close to the edge of Mission Hill, or below it. (An 1853 map of Santa Cruz shows the river
channel almost striking the bluff, where North Pacific Ave. is today.)
But the Mission's troubles with the river did not end with relocation to higher ground in 1793.
The new church and its outbuildings, such as the flour mill, were damaged by heavy rains in
1796, 1797 and 1799. But more importantly for this history, the lower lands between Mission
Hill and Beach Hill, used by the mission for growing crops, were flooded by the river in early
1798. From the combination of rain and flood damage suffered by the mission in its first
decade, Santa Cruz became known as a "hard luck" mission. 1
2
�Possible floods, 1799-1852
The only record (that I have yet found) of floods on the San Lorenzo River from 1799 to 1862 is
an article that appeared in the Pacific Sentinel on Dec. 23, 1871. This article states that,
A flood occurred in the year 1822, when the water covered all the lowlands and rose to
a greater height than ever before. Had the country been settled then as now the
disaster would have been very great. The next memorable flood occurred in 1832, the
water not reaching the extreme heights of ten years before, but still covering the low
lands to a great extent. In 1842, there occurred another great flood, not unlike that of
'32. The pioneer settlers of California remember distinctly the flood of 1852, and it is not
necessary to dwell upon the particulars. The last great flood occurred in the winter of
1862...The winter of 1872 is supposed to complete the circle again, premising that a
flood will occur every ten years.
Ironically, it was later on the very day that this article appeared, Dec. 23, 1871, that another
major flood struck Santa Cruz. Generally, every year that ends in a "2" has not brought a flood,
but the early groping for some sensible pattern of the recurrence of such natural events is
understandable, and can be seen as a progenitor of the later system of classifying floods as
being 10-year, 50-year or 100-year events. The idea that flooding occurs on a completely
predictable basis was not proven out over the next 120 years, and in the absence of any
verifying sources, the exact dates and severity of floods between the 1790's and the 1860's
must remain uncertain. But it is likely that noticeable floods occurred in Santa Cruz, before
heavy development of the floodplain, and the 1871 article provides some evidence of this. (The
1852 and 1862 floods mentioned are found in other newspaper articles from 1862.)
Development of Santa Cruz onto the Floodplain, and the Flood of 1862
Between 1791 and the 1840's, the Mission (and later Town of Santa Cruz) and the civil
settlement at the Villa de Branciforte were located outside of the floodplain, on the tops of the
bluffs to the west and east of the river. As the population of the area grew in the late Mexican
and early American periods, buildings other than mills or farm structures began to be built in
the space available between the bluffs. A visitor commented in 1841-42, "In the space which
separates the Mission from the Villa de Branciforte are being built new houses, which in due
time will no doubt make an important city."2 Elihu Anthony built the first brick structure below
Mission Hill in 1849, hugging the base of the hill, right where North Pacific Ave. runs next to the
town clock today.3
Gradually, more houses were built in the lower lands, and the business district shifted down
onto the "flats" as well. The intersection of Water, Willow (Pacific) and Main (Front) Streets
became the "lower plaza," and the Mission plaza the "upper." Symbolizing the shift of the town
to its present center was the decision in 1866 to locate the new county courthouse on Cooper
St. rather than on Mission Hill. (See the article, “History of the Santa Cruz Courthouse” by
3
�Margaret Souza.) As the center of town moved down onto the flats, it also moved entirely onto
the floodplain of the San Lorenzo River.
The first serious flood to hit the growing town was in the winter of 1861-62, and it was a shock
to residents, as bridges and mills upstream were destroyed, buildings built on the banks of the
river within the city were washed out to sea (one barn allegedly went to sea in an upright
position), and water ran against the base of Mission Hill and eroded 30 feet of it away. 4 This
flood was different from later floods in that more damage resulted from erosion, both at the
north end of town and down at the "Cathcart Orchard" than from actual inundation. The water
level was described later as being comparable with 1871, or about 16 feet, and thus the
flooding of what we now call downtown was not that widespread. (Of course, neither was the
downtown at that time, which was concentrated in a few blocks near the lower plaza.)
The river did not follow its present course to the north of town, and there was a curve in the
channel that directed high water at the bank near the town's north edge, near the base of
Mission Hill. After the 1862 flood, it was claimed that the river was "several hundred feet
nearer to the town" than it had been before. While damage from inundation and moving water
laden with debris were to characterize later floods, the flood of 1862 raised fears about the loss
of land underneath the buildings, land which was valuable for expansion of the town.
Changes in the River's Course, 1850's to Present
The river's approximate course north of downtown in the 1850's and 1860's was much nearer
to the base of Mission Hill. Most of the town of Santa Cruz from the early 1850's was
concentrated near the Lower Plaza, very near to the bulkhead built after 1862. Information on
the course of the river in the 1850's is taken from an 1853 map of Santa Cruz by A.D. Bache.
River Street follows the old course of the channel closely where it rounds the north end of
Mission Hill.
The response to this flood by townspeople was the earliest form of flood control: they built a
bulkhead to stabilize the river bank near the plaza (at the site of today's Bulkhead St.), they
began work to change the river channel so that it would run past Mission Hill and not straight at
4
�it, and property owners on the lower part of Willow (Pacific) began to fill their lots, in order to
raise the grade and prevent the San Lorenzo from crossing through their land on the way to
Neary's Lagoon. (The land on lower Pacific, and in other parts of downtown has been raised
four feet or more from its natural grade by such filling.) One last feature of the flood of 1862
was that there were no bridges across the river yet, thus no bridges to be damaged or to trap
debris and raise the water level behind them.
Repeated Flooding of Santa Cruz: 1871-1958
Subsequent floods, beginning in 1871, found bridges in the river channel, and damaged them or
built logjams behind them. There were also more buildings near the river that could be flooded,
although these were not right on the river's banks. Such things changed the perceptions of
floods after 1862. But generally, all subsequent floods sent river water into the same areas. The
water usually left the riverbanks in one of two places, either at the foot of Pacific Ave. on the
west bank (at today's Laurel/Broadway St. bridge) or at the foot of Broadway on the east bank.
Lower Pacific was frequently flooded (1862, 1878, 1881, 1890, 1895, 1907, 1911, 1940, 1941,
1955) with a few inches to a few feet of water. The Broadway/Barson Tract/Riverside/May St.
area on the east bank flooded frequently as well, with one to three feet of water (1871, 1907,
1938, 1940, 1941, 1955). The area near Paradise Park (and the Powder Mill) would be cut off
and flooded (1862, 1881, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1955) and the east bank near Branciforte Creek and
now-gone Garfield St. (the site of San Lorenzo Park) would flood next (1878, 1889, 1907, 1911,
1940, 1941, 1955, 1982).
High water levels would often flood the basements of buildings on Pacific Ave. (1871, 1878,
1880, 1890, 1940, 1955) and if the water was especially high, it would run up Soquel Ave., and
flow down Pacific Ave. from a few inches to a few feet deep (1878, 1890, 1955). This water
could reach several blocks west of Pacific Ave., and combined with rain water unable to drain to
the river, would reach the Chestnut/Center/Church St. area (1889, 1890, 1940, 1941, 1955).
The highest floodwaters also hit hard at the North Pacific or Bulkhead area, as anywhere from a
foot of water (1871, 1880, 1890, 1907) to a large portion of the river's flow (1955) would take
this route, in the late 19th century flowing "over the bulkhead." The upper River St. area near
the tannery would also be flooded on occasion (1862, 1907, 1940, 1955) as would the low-lying
Josephine St. and El Rio Mobile Home Park (1940, 1941, 1955, 1958).
Bridges across the river would be frequently damaged by floods (1871, 1881, 1890, 1931, 1938,
1940, 1941, 1955, 1982). Wooden bridges were more vulnerable than concrete ones, as
damage to bridges was universal in the 19th century, and often limited to the surviving wooden
footbridges at Cooper St. and Ocean St. in the early 20th century. But concrete bridges could
suffer as well. The footings of the unfinished Highway One Bridge and the Riverside Avenue
Bridge were damaged in 1955, and the older half of the Soquel Avenue Bridge was undermined,
collapsing two lanes in 1982.
5
�One area which flooded repeatedly, and from which residents were often evacuated by boat,
no longer exists. The newspapers of 1878, 1880, 1889 and 1890 refer to the "island" in the
river, which had houses on it. This was not the sand island in the lower reaches of the river, but
was further upstream, and was also referred to as the "Midway Plaissance" or just the Midway.
This island was "a raised patch of ground in the marshy lowlands of the San Lorenzo River...To
reach the island pedestrians had to cross by a foot bridge from the end of Cooper St."(5) This
would today be approximately the location of the parking lot of Long's Drugs, the Galleria, or
the UA Theaters on River St., and the island feature (like the sand island further down the river)
disappeared with the redevelopment project that followed the 1955 flood.
The "Christmas Flood" of 1955
The costliest, deadliest, and most well-known flood in the history of Santa Cruz was on Dec. 22,
1955. Much is written about this event in other places, and it is remembered well by many local
people. The river moved well out of its banks on both sides, and flowed down Pacific Ave. at a
depth of three to four feet. Water reached the steps of city hall on Center St., and was over
eight feet deep in places on the east side of Front St. At the time, this was called a 100-year
flood, but is generally called a 40-year flood today. (The same can be said for the storm of
1982.) But the water level was unquestionably higher in 1955 than in any other historic flood.
Nine people were killed in Santa Cruz, two of these in their house on Garfield St. Water flow
had reached the maximum possible at the Riverside Avenue Bridge, and the river had begun to
back up behind it as the flood peaked. Had this peak occurred at high tide, the level of water
could have been higher, and the damage to Santa Cruz would
have been even worse.
Map (c) 1997 Daniel McMahon. Information on street
locations, the extent of the floodplain and the 1955 flood are
from maps created by the city's Department of Engineering,
published in San Lorenzo River Flood, December 22, 1955, by
the Flood Control Committee of the Santa Cruz Chamber of
Commerce, 1956.
Floodplain and Area Flooded on
December 23, 1955
6
�The San Lorenzo River Since 1958
Since April 1958, the river has only come close to topping the levees in the city a single time, on
January 4, 1982. There was some flooding along Branciforte Creek that day, and the benchland
below the County Government Center filled with water. When one half of the Soquel Ave.
bridge was undermined and collapsed, it took a large part of the telephone lines to the eastside
of Santa Cruz with it. The water level measured at the Water Street Bridge in 1982 was 18 feet
above sea level, which is second only to 1955's 20.8 feet. The measurement of flow at the Big
Trees gauge in Felton was very close to that of 1955, and clearly greater than the large flood of
1940. And yet the levees held, if only by a thin margin, and there was not a recurrence of the
widespread flooding that the City of Santa Cruz had seen so many times between 1862 and
1958.
Photograph taken by Daniel McMahon on Jan.
5, 1982. It is taken from the top of the levee on
the west bank of the river, downstream from
the Soquel Avenue Bridge. The water in the
river had already receded from the day before.
Soquel Avenue Bridge, January 5, 1982
Citations
1. Story of the Mission Santa Cruz, pp.68-78, pp.188-195. The 1853 map can be seen
in Santa Cruz County Place Names between pages 79 and 80.
2. Story of the Mission Santa Cruz, De Mofras, on p.359.
3. This structure was replaced by the "Anthony Block" which was moved to extend Pacific
Avenue in the late 1920's. SC Sentinel, 1927 and Parade of the Past, 24.
4. Pacific Sentinel, Jan. 17, 1862, p.2, c.1. "The bluff above Mr. E. Anthony's which, from its
formation kept the current of the stream from washing the bank next to the town, has
been gradually falling in until now about thirty feet is gone." This was a major storm for
all of California, and flooded the Capitol building in Sacramento.
5. The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture p. 195.
7
�Floods and Flood Control on the San Lorenzo River in the City of Santa Cruz
Characteristics of Floods on the San Lorenzo River
The San Lorenzo River drains a watershed of approximately 138 square miles, and drops from
an elevation of 2900 ft. to sea level in its 22 mile length. (The first 2000 ft. drop occurs in the
first three miles.) To quote from an Army Corps of Engineers report of 1982, "Historically, the
San Lorenzo River has frequently flooded and caused substantial damages. Peak flows occur
when a short-duration, intense storm follows a longer period of heavy rainfall which saturates
the soil." These peak flows do not last very long, generally no longer than 18 to 36 hours.
Damage from floods is caused as much by the force of moving water and debris as by
inundation, as is seen clearly in the photograph below of the 1955 flood on Pacific Ave. 1
This photograph shows the flood tide running down
Pacific Ave. on Dec. 23, 1955. Photo taken by Ed
Webber. Provided courtesy of Daniel McMahon.
(Available at Covello and Covello Photography.)
Most of downtown Santa Cruz, and many
neighborhoods on the east side of the river lay in the
floodplain, generally below the 20 ft. elevation point.
These areas are largely surrounded by bluffs, which
Floodwater on Pacific Avenue near Soquel
Avenue, December 23, 1955
rise to the top of an upraised marine terrace that is
from 60 to 100 ft. in elevation, and which is thought
to be about 100,000 years old. Beach Hill is in the center of the floodplain, at the terminus of
the river, and is approx. 55 ft. in elevation at its highest. The river only runs against the bluffs in
two places today, at the back of Beach Hill (under Laurel St. Extension) and at the east side of
the river mouth. There is some evidence that the river has taken different routes across the
floodplain in geological time than the route it has been known to (generally) follow since 1769.
To quote Margaret Koch,
When the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium was under construction in 1941, test borings
revealed that the San Lorenzo River originally had run around the foot of Mission Hill
instead of its present course, and Neary's Lagoon is probably a remnant of the river's
ancient bed.2
Flood Control: The 19th Century through the 1950's
Beginning with the bulkhead erected north of the downtown in the 1860's, Santa Cruzans have
sought some measure of protection from high river levels, especially when several floods
8
�occurred within a few years (1889 and 1890, 1938, 1940 and 1941). As far back as 1871,
editorials in one local paper were calling for a bulkhead that would run the length of the river,
and that could limit erosion and prevent the river from overflowing its banks. Funding for a
flood control project was provided by the U.S. Congress in the mid 1950's, and while this
project was being planned, the flood of December 1955 occurred. The project was scaled up as
a result, and construction began in 1958. The San Lorenzo River's levees were designed by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and constructed by the Granite Construction Company.
One more flood occurred before completion of the levees, in April 1958, but many of the
buildings that would have been damaged had been torn down to make space for the levees. A
redevelopment area was also created, to reclaim the "wrecked areas" from 1955, and this
would ultimately include the elimination of several streets (such as Garfield and Eagle Streets),
the rerouting of other streets, and the building of San Lorenzo Park, the shopping center on
Front St. (Longs, etc.), and the banks and parking structures near the Veteran's Memorial
building. A new county government center was added to the area set aside for San Lorenzo
Park as well. But the major part of the project was the construction of the levees. All homes and
trees adjacent to the river in the city were removed, including Santa Cruz's last Chinatown,
adjacent to Front St. A channel from 150 feet to 200 feet wide, and theoretically 25 feet deep
was constructed, and this channel was designed to contain a "100 year" flood.
The floodwaters of April 1958 reached Front St., behind
the St. George Hotel. Many of the buildings that would
have been flooded had been removed in preparation for
the construction of levees, as is the case with the
flooded foundations of buildings on the now-gone Eagle
St., behind the Post Office. The recent experience of the
flood of 1955 had also left citizens, merchants and public
officials well prepared for dealing with river flooding in
1958.
Flood of April, 1958 Reaches Front Street –
Photo by Ed Webber, Provided Courtesy of
Daniel McMahon
Problems with the Flood Control Project: 1970's and 1980's
By the 1970's, it became apparent that a tremendous amount of silt was accumulating in the
channel, and the cost of removing this silt was higher than the city of Santa Cruz felt it could
afford, especially as a huge quantity would need to be removed just to reach a level where
maintenance of the river's capacity could take place. Dire predictions were made about the
capacity of the silt-filled channel, but the storm of 1982 brought a welcome surprise. Much of
the silt and sediment in the channel was moved out of the river with the floodwaters, and the
levees were able to contain an estimated 33,000 c.f.s of water in the city. (The figure for 1955,
the highest known flood, was 39,000 c.f.s.) Only this "scour effect" saved the levees from failing
and inundating the city, but the level of protection offered was still not equivalent to the 1009
�year level, which is mandated for both continued development within the floodplain, and for
insurance coverage.
In addition, the 1958-59 flood control levees had transformed the river from a tree-lined and
very scenic part of town, to a sterile drainage ditch. The siltation of the channel and the lack of
deep pools of water, coupled with low summer river flows and a lack of shade on the water
(once provided by trees on the banks) had decimated fish populations in the river. Fishing in the
San Lorenzo had been incredibly popular until the 1960's, and trout and salmon were routinely
caught in the city and in the San Lorenzo Valley. In contrast, the river contained by the high
levees was barren of most wildlife, the fish populations declined, and the levees separated the
two sides of town visually as well.
This aerial view shows the sterility of the river channel
within the city, before many bushes or grasses had
returned to the channel. The new County Government
Center is under construction, as is the Laurel/Broadway
Street Bridge.
Present Flood Control Plans and the Future of the River
New studies by the Army Corps of Engineers undertaken
in the 1980's agreed with local earth scientists that the
flood protection was inadequate, and that constant
dredging of the riverbed was an expensive and
impractical solution. But in light of the high degree of
San Lorenzo River Flood Control Project,
scour of sediment shown in the 1982 flood, the situation circa 1967 - Photo by Ed Webber,
Provided Courtesy of Daniel McMahon
was not as bad as had been feared in the late 1970's.
The Corps found that the major impediment to water
flow in the river was certain bridges, specifically the upper part of the Water Street Bridge, and
the Riverside Avenue Bridge. (Both of these have since been replaced, the Water Street Bridge
only being finished the week that this article is being written.) And additional flood protection
can be gained by constructing short walls atop the levees, from 1 to 3 feet high, and these
would still allow for some vegetation to grow within the river channel, which will benefit
wildlife, fish populations, and the river's scenic and recreational attributes.
In 1987, the City of Santa Cruz issued the San Lorenzo River Design Concept Plan, which
contained the elements previously described to enhance the flood protection and
environmental quality of the river, and to enhance the visual and recreational value of the river
in town. Work has begun with the rebuilding of the Water St. and Riverside Ave. bridges, and
hopefully it will continue in the next few years to achieve the twin goals of ensuring adequate
flood protection for a 100-year event, and restoring some of the aesthetic qualities the river
possessed before 1959. The scenic and recreational parts of the plan involve the construction of
amphitheaters, the improvement of access from town, walkways along the river, and the
10
�encouragement of recreation-oriented businesses in the proximity of the river. Plans also call
for the planting of trees both atop and within the levees, in a design that will enhance the
beauty of the river and provide the shade necessary for vigorous fish life, while not causing
problems at times of peak water flow.
If better flood protection and simultaneous restoration of the river's ecology and recreational
potential seem like difficult or unobtainable goals, it is good to remember that citizens of Santa
Cruz have been calling for and working toward protection from floods since the 1860's. The
historic record of floods in Santa Cruz before 1959 contrasts markedly with the lack of floods
since. Only the storm of Jan. 4, 1982 came close (very close) to topping the levees, and the
quantity of water in the river was comparable to the quantity of water that caused the
"Christmas Flood" of December, 1955. (See the Table of Floods.)
A reading of the history of a town developing in a floodplain, and struggling to cope with the
floods of 120 years suggests that there is a relationship between the river and the city, and that
this has always been a changing relationship. Some balance can hopefully be found between
the protection of the City of Santa Cruz from the San Lorenzo River, and the protection of the
natural aspects of the river from the city.
Citations
1. Information in this paragraph is from The San Lorenzo River Watershed Management
Plan, p. 93, Report on the Floods of 4-6 January 1982 in the San Francisco and Monterey
Bay Areas, p. 10, and Flood Control Failure: San Lorenzo River, California, p. 407.
2. This intriguing report is from Parade of the Past, p. 204. More information on the
geology of the downtown basin would be welcome. A test boring in the early 1990's at
the Buick/Toyota/Kinko's building on Laurel Street at Pacific Avenue showed sandy soil,
deposited by the river, to a depth of over 50 feet, when the drilling stopped. It would be
interesting to know the depth and extent of river-deposited soil, and what other paths
the river has taken through the downtown basin in the last 100,000 years.
11
�Table of Floods:
Recorded floods on the San Lorenzo River in the City Santa Cruz
Year
Date
Extent
1852 unknown
Said to be 3 feet lower than 1862 flood.
1862 Jan. 11
est. 16 ft. above sea level at Water St. Said to be equal to the height of the 1871
flood, though more destructive due to erosion.
1871 Dec. 23
16.03 ft. at the Water St. bridge.
1878 Feb. 14
14.61 ft.
1880 Apr. 21
15.11 ft.
1881 Jan. 29
15.41 ft.
1889
Dec. 8
14.31 ft.
1890 Jan. 25
16.35 ft.
1895
Jan. 4
16.00 ft. (est.)
1907 Mar. 27
15.74 ft.
1911 Jan. 14
14.69 ft. at Water St.
1931 Dec. 28
Unknown. Sand island in river submerged.
1938 Jan. 31
Unknown. Called "Worst Flood in 15 Years."
1940 Feb. 27
17.41 ft. at Water St., 24,000 c.f.s. at Felton.
1941
Feb. 9
15.30 ft. at Water St., 15,500 c.f.s. at Felton
1945
Feb. 1
15.70 ft. at Water St.
20.8 ft. at Water St., initially reported as 28,800 c.f.s. at Felton, later reported as
1955 Dec. 23 30,400 c.f.s. Estimated at 39,000 c.f.s. below Branciforte Creek in Santa Cruz, where
3/4 of 100-year flood plain (410 acres) inundated.
1958
Apr. 2
"...past the 14 foot flood stage" at Water St., 17,200 c.f.s. Felton, 18,500 c.f.s.
Santa Cruz.
1982
Jan. 4
18.0 ft. at Water St., 29,700 c.f.s at Felton, 33,000 c.f.s. in Santa Cruz, below
Branciforte Creek.
Notes
The primary sources for this table are contemporary newspaper accounts and figures in city,
county, state and federal literature on the river, floods, and flood control.
It is difficult to compare flood levels and volumes from year to year; measurements have not
always been taken in the same places, and are often reported incorrectly after several years.
Traditionally, the elevation figures for floods are taken at the Water Street Bridge, and
expressed in feet above sea level. Measurements of the volume of water in the river (in cubic
feet per second, or c.f.s.) have been taken near Big Trees in Felton since 1937. Some flow
measurements have been taken in the city in the last 40 years, but generally the flow figures for
Santa Cruz are estimates.
12
�Degree of Damage and Public Reaction to Floods
In addition to quantitative measurements, (see Table of Floods) the public reaction as found in
newspaper stories is another good way to compare the levels and severity of different floods.
While this is a very subjective body of information, some of the details gleaned from
contemporary accounts are quite interesting, and give a more immediate perspective than city,
county, state and federal literature on floods and flood control.
Jan. 11, 1862: Severe. The river ate lots of land, and destroyed many buildings. (There were
many buildings closer to the river in 1862 than would later be the case.) The "bulkhead" at
today's Bulkhead Street was built after this flood, to prevent water flowing down Main and
Willow Streets (Front St. and Pacific Ave.). There were attempts to alter the course of the river
as well, which at that time ran very close to the bluff below the mission, where North Pacific
Ave. is today. 1862 became the legendary flood for late 19th and early 20th century Santa Cruz
oldtimers, yet the correct date is often listed incorrectly in the newspapers after 1871.
Dec. 23, 1871: Fairly serious. "Considerable loss and inconvenience." First mention of bridge
damage, as bridges had spanned the San Lorenzo since the last flood in 1862. Water levels
compared to 1862, but damage estimated at half as much.
Feb. 14, 1878: Not very serious. Little discussion in paper.
Apr. 21, 1880: Severe rains, but flood taken very lightly. "Farmers were happy as ducks, few
being of the opinion that this storm had caused them any serious damage." (SC Sentinel,
4/24/80, p.3, c.6)
Jan. 29, 1881: Moderate. "...the damages sustained in this city last week, all from the detritus
and 'slickens'..." were mostly to the bridges, of which none failed. (SC Sentinel, 2/ /81, p3, c.1)
Feb. 08, 1889: Moderate. People were on the bridges, watching the river "...mindless of the
danger." (SC Sentinel, 12/10/89, p. 3, c. 4)
Jan. 25, 1890: Severe flood. River was "Highest Yet Known." Water was deep but "Damage
Resulting Will Not Be Very Great." The rail bridge at the mouth of the river is believed to have
made this flood much worse, by backing up water behind a debris dam collected against the
pilings. The failure of the rail bridge was immediately followed by a drop in the flood's level.
(The practice of using pilings to span the river was stopped after this flood.) This flood was well
remembered for 40 to 50 years. (SC Sentinel, 1/25/90, p.1, c.7)
Jan. 4, 1895: Extensive flooding of downtown areas, but no sense of panic. "Cellars, Yards and
Lots Covered With Water -- Railroad Bridge Dislodged -- Pacific Av. Looked Like a Lake" Water
went over the bulkhead in the North Pacific area, filled the "burned out district" on Front St.,
and crossed Pacific Ave. at Laurel. The article on this flood (SC Sentinel, Jan. 5, 1895, p.1, c.2) is
very detailed about the progress of the flood water, and very interesting.
13
�Mar. 27, 1907: Fairly serious. "Highest Water in This City in Years Causes Considerable Alarm
Along River." (SC Sentinel, 3/24/07, p.1, c.1) Flood control a topic for several years in editorials.
(eg.: SC Sentinel, Jan. 6, 1909, p.2)
Jan. 14, 1911: Very light reaction. Call for "River Bulkhead" on front page, but largest headline
was "Chickens Excited Along the San Lorenzo." (Article discusses flood's effect on poultry. SC
Sentinel, 1/15/11, p.1., c.7, p.3, c.3)
Dec. 28, 1931: Moderate. Worst flooding seems to have been in lower area of river, along East
Cliff Drive. "Island on the River Was Out Of Sight Sunday" and "the Chutes" at the Boardwalk
were surrounded by water. This flood may be the one referred to in the newspapers in 1940 as
the 1927 flood, as the 1931 description is consistent with the photographs of "1927" printed in
1940. This flood is notable as being the first one where a photograph was published in the
newspaper at the time it occurred.
Jan. 31, 1938: Moderate reaction. Headlines called this the "Highest Floods in 15 Years" and
there was some flooding of low-lying neighborhoods, primarily in the Barson Tract, near East
Cliff Drive and Ocean St. Homes in that area were flooded as "River Rampages Through City
Streets." But most of the damage was to the two wooden footbridges, one at Cooper St., and
the other at Ocean St. Total damage to bridges was $1000, and there was some damage to the
end of the Boardwalk as well. Numerous photographs of flooded areas were published in the
newspaper. (SC Sentinel, 2/1/38, p.1)
Feb. 27, 1940: Very severe. Banner headline was "San Lorenzo On Worst Rampage of Century."
"100 routed from homes by torrent." (SC Sentinel, 2/28/40, p.1)
Feb. 9, 1941: Moderate flood, but exasperated reaction as "Third Flood In Four Years Hits City
Property." Calls for flood control. (SC Sentinel, 2/11/41, p. 1)
Feb. 1, 1945: Light reaction. "River's Flood Peak Believed Past Despite Continued Rain." The
river "...threatened to inundate parts of Santa Cruz..." but only limited flooding occurred. (SC
Sentinel, 2/2/45, p.1)
Dec. 22, 1955: Beyond severe. Papers indicated near panic on Friday morning, as "City Braces
for New Flood." 9 lives were lost, and many people were missing right after the flood. There
was talk of rehabilitation of "Wrecked Area." This was the highest historic flood, filling 410
acres of lowlands outside of the river channel. The 1955 flood is deeply etched in the
community memory, and the water marks were evident on many older buildings downtown in
the late 1960's. The flood control project was being planned at this time, and was enlarged as a
result of this flood. In this storm, 90 percent of the damage in the county occurred within the
city, and ran into the millions of dollars. (SC Sentinel, 12/23/55, p.1 and following days.)
Apr. 2, 1958: Moderate. Fairly high water, but the damage was limited, as many buildings that
would have been flooded had been torn down as the flood control project progressed. Water
flooded lower the lower Ocean St. area, and flowed along Front St., reaching the back of
businesses on Pacific Ave. The recent experience of 1955 had led merchants along Front and
14
�Pacific to empty their basements of merchandise, and the police, city government and rescue
workers were well equipped and out in force.
Jan. 4, 1982: Severe storm, as "Killer Flood Ravages Area." But no major flooding occurred in
the City of Santa Cruz. All the people killed in S.C. County were in areas outside the city. Water
rose to within two feet of the top of the levees at some places, and there was flooding of
homes along Branciforte Creek, and of the benchland below the County Building. The older half
(1923) of the Soquel Ave. bridge collapsed due to scouring and undermining of the footings. In
contrast to 1955, 90 percent of the 1982 storm damage in S.C. County was outside of the city.
(SC Sentinel, 1/5/82, p.1)
15
�Bibliography:
The History of Floods on the San Lorenzo River in the City of Santa Cruz
California Disaster Office, The Big Flood — California 1955, 1956, California State Printing Office
Chase, John, The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture, 1979, Paper Vision Press,
Santa Cruz, Ca.
Clark, Donald T., Santa Cruz County Place Names, 1986, Santa Cruz Historical Society, Santa
Cruz, Ca.
Coehen Torchiana, H. A. van, Story of the Mission Santa Cruz, 1933, Paul Elder and Co., San
Francisco, Ca.
Copeland, Ronald R., San Lorenzo River Sedimentation Study, 1986, Department of the Army,
Waterways Experimentation Station, Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg Mississippi.
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Engineer District, Report on the Floods of 4-6 January 1982 in the
San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas, 1983, San Francisco, U.S. Army Engineer District.
Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, Department of the Army, Flood Plain Information —
San Lorenzo River — Boulder Creek — Felton, 1973, San Francisco, Corps of Engineers.
Gordon, Burton L., Monterey Bay Area: Natural History and Cultural Imprints, 1974, Dept. of
Geology, San Francisco State University.
Koch, Margaret, Santa Cruz County — Parade of the Past, 1973, Western Tanager Press, Santa
Cruz, Ca.
Lindsey, John L. (Editor), The Storm of '82, 1982, Santa Cruz Sentinel Publishers, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Lydon, Sandy, Chinese Gold — The Chinese in the Monterey Bay Area Region, 1985, Capitola
Book Co., Capitola, Ca.
McMahon, Daniel, Flooding on the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, 1992, a paper for Sandy
Lydon's History 25B at Cabrillo College, Aptos, Ca.
Office of Watershed Management, Planning Department, County of Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo
River Watershed Management Plan, 1979, Protected Waterways Program, Department of Fish
and Game, Resources Agency, State of California.
Office of Watershed Management, Planning Department, County of Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo
River Watershed Management Plan, Hydrology Technical Section, 1979, Protected Waterways
Program, Department of Fish and Game, Resources Agency, State of California.
Rowland, Leon, Santa Cruz, the Early Years, 1980, Paper Vision Press, Santa Cruz, Ca.
16
�Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, San Lorenzo River Flood -- December 22, 1955, 1956,
prepared by the Flood Control Committee of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Santa Cruz, City of, The River Task Force, San Lorenzo River Design Concept Plan, 1987, River
Task Force, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Santa Cruz Sentinel 1982, 1940, 1938, 1931, 1927, 1911, 1890, 1889, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Santa Cruz Sentinel-News 1941, 1955, 1956, 1958, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Santa Cruz Morning Sentinel 1907, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Santa Cruz Daily Sentinel 1881, 1880, 1871, Santa Cruz, Ca.
Pacific Sentinel 1862, Santa Cruz, Ca.
State of California, Department of Public Works, Division of Water Resources, Floods of
December 1955 in California, 1956, State of California, Dept. of Public Works.
State of California, Department of Public Works, Division of Water Resources, California Floods
of 1958, 1959, State of California, Dept. of Public Works.
Source
© 1997 Daniel McMahon. Reproduced by permission of the author.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library
to completely verify the accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a
local history article are incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
17
�
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The History of Floods on the San Lorenzo River in the City of Santa Cruz
Subject
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San Lorenzo River
Floods
Floods-1955 and 1958
Floods-1982
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McMahon, Daniel
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
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1997
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© 1997 Daniel McMahon. Reproduced by permission of the author.
Disasters and Accidents
Public Works
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b55f67b0be1a723b1cb6eb9a985290ba
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Text
The Nature and History of Flooding in Soquel Village
Flood waters have flowed in Soquel Village at least eight times since 1890 (see Table 3). Severe damage was
incurred during the floods of 1931, 1937, 1940, 1955, and 1982. Newspaper accounts tell a similar story for
each of these flood events.
December 28, 1931
"The most popular song many Soquel families were singing was "River stay away from my door". Old timers
had seen Soquel Creek on a rampage before, but those coming here within the last twenty years had never
believed it could be possible to have it move right inside their homes".
February 14, 1937
Headline: "Soquel and Capitola Streets like rivers when Creek overflows". "Soquel Creek went rampaging
down the highway in the center of town yesterday afternoon when it overflowed its banks and sent families
living on the lowest portions of Porter Avenue scurrying for safety. There was no clearance under the (Soquel
Drive) Bridge in the center of town and water covered a wide area in a remarkably short time".
February 29, 1940
Picture caption: "Logs jam at Soquel Bridge". "Scores of residents watched highway workers and a big crane
work throughout the day to clear the log jam against the highway (Soquel Drive) bridge. This picture shows the
hoist in action and by last night half the debris was cleared".
Same day "... in the early afternoon the runaway creek spilled over the highway and piled debris against the concrete
and steel bridge".
December 25, 1955
Headline: "(Governor) Knight says Soquel damage as bad as Yuba City" "..The western half of the business
district (in Soquel) suffered damage because of a tremendous log jam that forced water to divert most of its
torrenting force in business houses".
1
�The 1955 flood destroyed the Soquel Drive Bridge that was constructed in 1922 and had withstood the floods
of 1931, 1937, and 1940. In its place the present bridge was constructed much to the displeasure of local
residents. The greatest hazards associated with the present bridge are the low clearance (14 feet), and a single
pier within the main channel which catches large woody debris.
The flood of January 4, 1982 was similar to previous floods on Soquel Creek. A log jam formed at the Soquel
Drive Bridge and diverted the majority of the streamflow through town. Eyewitness accounts (Kane, Delineas,
Negro, Hope, pers. comm.) have been used to put together the following sequence of events on January 4th:
9AM--Logs, some large, are seen floating downstream at intervals of one every few minutes. This is the
approximate beginning of log movement which continues and increases throughout the day.
Noon - 1 PM--Water tops the bank and begins to flood Old Mill Mobilehome Park. Water flow
(discharge) as measured by the U.S.G.S. streamgage just upstream, was 4,010 to 4,721 cfs.
2-3 PM--Mobile Home Park completely flooded. Downtown also flooded. Water at the Soquel DrivePorter Street intersection (a low point) is about 2' deep. No log jam. Discharge of 6,034 to 6,883 cfs.
4 PM--Large logs start to float downstream in numbers. Still no log jam, but water deepens in
downtown area. Discharge = 7,500 cfs, and U.S.G.S. stream gage stops working.
5-6:30 PM--Flows continue to increase. Many logs are moving downstream. U.S.G.S. personnel cannot
lower their equipment into the water for fear of damaging it. Big logs (greater then 24" diameter)
coming down at the rate of one every few seconds.
Sometime during this period a large log jam forms at Soquel Drive Bridge and the majority of stream
flow is gradually forced out of the channel and through town.
6:30 PM-3AM/JAN. 5--Water crashes through town with tremendous velocity. Large logs caught in flow
damage many structures. Water rises to over 5' deep in downtown. Sometime between midnight and
1AM peak discharge of 9,700 cfs is reached.
The aftermath of the storm found over 70 buildings flooded and 57 mobile homes seriously damaged
(Thompson, 1982). The two mobile home parks were particularly hard hit. The log jam left behind the Soquel
Drive Bridge contained 26,900 cubic yards of logs and sediment (Dodson, pers. comm.).
In each major historic flood (Table 3), water inundated the downtown area to a depth of several feet. In every
case where detailed information on flooding behavior is available, a log jam formed at the Soquel Drive Bridge,
and the area now occupied by the Old Mill Mobile Home Park suffered major damages. There are subsidiary
flood channels in Soquel Village which behave in a manner similar to other uninhabited floodways upstream
(Fig. 5 and 6). Most newspapers and local resident accounts state that flow jumps the banks upstream of the
Soquel Drive Bridge in the Old Mill Mobile Home Park (formerly Willowbrook Lodge) and splits up into two
weakly defined waterways. One goes directly toward the Post Office and then back into the stream, the other
flows to the main intersection of town and continues down Porter Street before re-entering the stream near
the Soquel Grange Hall. The force of the water flowing through Soquel Village is tremendous usually lifting
floors, tossing mobile homes on their sides, and pushing logs like battering rams through buildings.
2
�Log jams at the Soquel Drive Bridge increase the height of floodwater in Soquel Village such that a thirty year
flood potentially produces a degree of inundation greater than the postulated 100-year flood (Thompson,
1982, U.S.A.C.E., 1973). Such was the case in the December 1955 flood when Soquel Creek reached a
maximum elevation of 62.3 feet above sea level, just 0.3 feet short of the 100-year flood stage (1955 was
estimated to be 12,000 cfs, a 30-year event, while the postulated 100-year event is 16,400 (U.S.A.C.E., 1966).
Thompson (1982) found similar flood height discrepancies associated with the January, 1982 flood.
Even without a log jam at the Soquel Drive Bridge, Soquel Village is in imminent danger of being flooded. The
Floodplain Information Study (U.S.A.C.E., 1973) produced a map showing areas flooded during the
hypothetical 100-year flood (see Fig. 7). This map shows that nearly all of Soquel Village is within the 100-year
floodplain. Their study concludes that flooding begins in Soquel Village when discharge exceeds 5,000 cfs.
Obstructions, such as log jams, which would increase floodwater height in town, were not considered in their
calculations.
Human impacts do not account for the onset of flooding conditions, but heighten the hazards associated with
it. Besides the obstructions provided by the Soquel Drive Bridge, other human impacts that have increased
flood hazard in the Soquel Village area are the encroachment of structures within the high flow channel, the
removal of streamside riparian vegetation, the failure to adequately floodproof new buildings within the 100year floodplain (Fig. 7 [not included in web excerpt]), and the addition of human-produced debris from
upstream areas. Such debris may consist of bridge beams, streambank log cribbing, and all or portions of
structures built too close to the stream. In 1931, a cabin from the Willowbrook Village area was swept into the
channel, became lodged against the bridge, and had to be dynamited out. Today, the Old Mill Mobile Home
Park is located in the same vulnerable location, with mobile homes extending to the brink of the streambank.
Inspection of historic aerial photos shows that the Old Mill Mobile Home Park has expanded its property
several yards by filling in a small portion of the high flow channel. Other business and residences have also
reduced the capacity of the channel to carry flood flows by building too close to the stream. Some houses
below Wharf Road near the freeway have been constructed on a very low flood terrace that used to be
covered with riparian woodland. These houses have a chance of being flooded once every few years. Although
Santa Cruz County required the living quarters of each house to be elevated above floodwater levels, it is not
likely that the buyers were aware of the degree of flooding and inconvenience they would be subjected to.
The pole foundations of these structures, supposedly flood-proofed, may need a debris-barrier or floodwall to
protect them from battering by logs. This type of development should not be allowed in the future.
The historical frequency of flooding in Soquel Village, the statistical analysis of the streamflow record from
1951 to 1982, and the manner in which flooding occurs upstream all indicate that Soquel Village rests upon a
floodplain which Soquel Creek has used naturally for flood water storage and movement. The largest floods of
recent times, 1955 and 1982, are relatively low order events with recurrence intervals of 30 and 16 years
respectively. If a high-order event, such as a 100-year flood, occurs in conjunction with a log jam at the Soquel
Drive Bridge, the damage to Soquel Village would be much greater.
3
�Table 3 – Major Floods in Soquel Village 1890 to Present from Historic Newspaper Accounts (a)
Newspaper
Date
Jan. 25, 1890
Jan. 20, 1906
Jan. 1, 1914
Dec. 29, 1931
Feb. 14, 1937
Feb. 28, 1940
Dec. 26, 1955
Jan. 4, 1982
Water through
Town
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Logjam at
Bridge
X
?
?
?
X
X
X
X
Damage to Old Mill Mobile
Home Park Area (b)
?
?
?
X
X
X
X
X
Landsliding in
Watershed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Minor flooding is reported on January 22, 1895; March 23, 1907; January 23, 1909; December 11, 1937;
January 21, 1943; and January 31, 1963.
(a) Source is Santa Cruz Sentinel; list may be incomplete since not all years were checked
(b) Formerly known as Willowbrook Village
Source
Singer, Steven. Soquel Creek Storm Damage Recovery Plan: a reconnaissance level study with
recommendations for watershed management. Aptos, CA: U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1983, pp. 21-24, 28.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library to completely
verify the accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a local history article are
incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
4
�
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Santa Cruz History Articles
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Original articles by library staff and by local authors and material from historical books.
Articles on Santa Cruz County history, many with illustrations, are available here.
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries is grateful to our local historians and their publishers for giving permission to include their articles. The content of the articles is the responsibility of the individual authors.
It is the library's intent to provide accurate information. However, it is not possible to completely verify the accuracy of individual articles obtained from a variety of sources. If you believe that factual statements in an article are incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
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The Nature and History of Flooding in Soquel Village
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Floods
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Singer, Steven
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Soquel Creek Storm Damage Recovery Plan: a reconnaissance level study with recommendations for watershed management. Aptos, CA: U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1983, pp. 21-24, 28.
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1983
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Soquel
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Disasters and Accidents
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Local News Index
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An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
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1890, the year that 'The Boss Flood' ravaged SLV communities
Subject
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Floods
Weather-Precipitation
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Brown, Randall
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Press Banner, January 20, 2017, p. 4
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
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2017-01-20
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En
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PB-2017-01-20-04
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San Lorenzo Valley
1890s
Disasters and Accidents
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Local News Index
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An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
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Capitola rebounds from floods
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Hannula, Tarmo
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2012-02-22
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<i>Santa Cruz Sentinel</i>
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Capitola
Floods
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2010s
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Text
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EN
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NEWS
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Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Capitola
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Local News Index
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An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-52095
Title
A name given to the resource
And the rains came...
Description
An account of the resource
floods in Watsonville
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lewis, Betty
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1978-01-16
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Watsonville Register-Pajaronian</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Watsonville-History
Floods
Watsonville
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1970s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Watsonville-History
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local News Index
Description
An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-50919
Title
A name given to the resource
Storms cause mudslides, flooding
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Chavarria, Jesse
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1986-02-19
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Green Sheet</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Storms
Storms-1986
Floods
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1980s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Storms
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local News Index
Description
An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-50887
Title
A name given to the resource
Heavy rainstorm floods streets; weatherman promises still more
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-02-26
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Watsonville Register-Pajaronian</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Storms
Storms-1983
Floods
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1980s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Storms
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local News Index
Description
An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-50869
Title
A name given to the resource
Storm brings slides and flooding
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Smith, Bob
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1980-01-12
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Watsonville Register-Pajaronian</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Storms
Floods
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1980s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Storms
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local News Index
Description
An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-50866
Title
A name given to the resource
After Drought, Heavy Rains, Bad Fire Season Here Feared
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Townsend, Peggy R.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1978-05-28
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Santa Cruz Sentinel</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Storms
Floods
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1970s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Storms
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Local News Index
Description
An account of the resource
An index to newspaper and periodical articles from a variety of Santa Cruz publications.
It is a collection of over 87,000 articles, primarily from the <em>Santa Cruz Sentinel</em>, that have been clipped and filed in subject folders. While these articles of local interest range in date from the early 1900's to the present, most of the collection and clipped articles are after roughly 1960. There is an ongoing project to scan the complete articles and include them in this collection.<br /><br />Also included are more than 350 full-text local newspaper articles on films and movie-making and on the Japanese-American internment.<br /><br /> In addition, this is an online index for births, deaths, and personal names from <em>The Mountain Echo.</em> The complete print index is available at the library. For more information see <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134957#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0">The Mountain Echo</a>.
Most of the indexed articles are available on microfilm in the Californiana Room or in the clipping files in the Local History Room at the Downtown branch. Copies of individual articles may be available by contacting the Reference Department - <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/contact/">Ask Us.<br /><br /></a>
<p></p>
While there is some overlap between this index and <a href="https://www.santacruzpl.org/historic_newspaper_index/">the Historic Newspaper Index</a><a> (approximately 1856-1960), they are different databases and are searched separately.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
PAPER
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
CF-50865
Title
A name given to the resource
Rains trigger county flooding
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Van Zant, Heidi
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1978-02-07
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<i>Register-Pajaronian</i>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Storms
Floods
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1970s
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
NEWS
DOCUMENT
Clipping branch location: Downtown
Clipping filed under: Storms