Governor Declares State of Emergency Following March Storms

A month after torrential rain wreaked havoc on the region, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday in 19 counties—including Santa Cruz.

The month of March was the second-wettest March on record in northern coastal areas.

Santa Cruz, along with Monterey, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, were among the hardest-hit counties after severe rainstorms during a 12-day period beginning March 15 affected many public and private buildings, residences, roads and highways, according to the proclamation.

The 19 counties are compiling their own local impact reports. Some emergency repairs are being made now throughout the counties, but only after a full assessment of the damage will funding allocations be decided, Kelly Huston, assistant secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency, said.

In Santa Cruz, the storms caused millions of dollars in damage to the road system, including in rural Scotts Valley that cut off an entire community. , causing at least $10 million destruction, and a dozen roads remain closed or reduced to one lane because of landslides, slipouts and other storm-caused failures.

in a special meeting at the end of March, a preliminary step to getting financial relief from the state.

Following the declaration, emergency relief may be available for people affected by the severe March storms. Taxpayers may receive relief in the form of a one-month extension to file or pay taxes or fees, state Board of Equalization member Betty Yee announced in a news release.

— Bay City News contributed to this report.