More than 500 residents and business owners have filed a lawsuit against Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, as well as various other agencies and municipalities, alleging that all accused parties could have done more to prevent the massive floods that occurred in Watsonville and Pajaro between Dec. 31, 2022, and March 11. The lawsuit was filed in December and names the counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz, city of Watsonville, California Department of Transportation, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, Santa Cruz County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. The suit covers the early months of 2023, between New Year’s Eve when a surge in rainfall at Corralitos Creek caused water to spill out into several neighborhoods in Watsonville and trapped residents in their homes, to March 11, when a breach at the Pajaro River levee resulted in flooding of the community of Pajaro and damage to several homes, businesses and agricultural fields.