California storms recovery difficult for those in hardest hit areas
Moldering houses, sodden with rainwater. Muddy back roads awaiting bulldozers to clear away debris. Families without flood insurance wondering how they will afford to repair their wrecked homes and replace belongings. This is the reality for many low-income and working-class residents in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, the bull’s-eye of a series of historic atmospheric river storms that began on Dec. 26 and lasted through Jan. 18. The storms dumped as much as 3 feet of water in parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains, flooding homes, blocking critical access roads and trapping communities. Across the state, at least 21 people died in the deluges. The floodwaters have receded, but one month later, residents are still struggling to move forward with scant resources while navigating bureaucratic labyrinths to procure promised federal aid.