Officials have known for decades that the Pajaro River levee that failed this weekend was vulnerable but never prioritized repairs in part because they believed it did not make financial sense to protect the low-income area, interviews and records show.
since it was completed, including a breaching event in 1995 in which two people drowned and economic damage was estimated to range between $50 million and $95 million. Flooding occurred again in 1997, and in 1998 President Clinton issued a disaster declaration. More recently, there was a near-flooding event in 2017 and again this past January.
And they’re currently designing a system that they were hoping to move into construction in the next two years, he said, funded by the Infrastructure Jobs Act and state money — secured by a 2021 bill that directed the Department of Water Resources to pay 100% of the state’s cost for reconstruction of the Pajaro/Watsonville levee system.
Farshid Vahedifard, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Mississippi State University, said communities living near levees are often underserved or economically disadvantaged. Pajaro is in unincorporated Monterey County, and despite being in a different county than and across the river from Watsonville, the two communities share a ZIP Code. Pajaro does not have its own post office.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pajaro river levee breach prompts evacuations in Monterey CountyThe Pajaro River levee was breached overnight Friday, prompting evacuations. National Guard high-water rescue vehicles were stationed in the area to help the evacuation effort.
Read more »
Levee breaches on Pajaro River in Monterey County prompting evacuations and rescuesHundreds of people in the agricultural community of Pajaro in Monterey County were forced to flee their homes when the Pajaro River levee breached Friday night.
Read more »
Storm Breaches Pajaro River's Levee, Thousands EvacuateA Central Coast agricultural community famous for its strawberry crop was forced to evacuate early Saturday after the Pajaro River’s levee was breached by flooding from a new atmospheric river that pummeled the state.
Read more »
Shocking images of flooding near Santa Cruz after levee burstsA 100-foot breach in a Pajaro River levee sent floodwaters pouring into communities near Santa Cruz.
Read more »
California's Pajaro River breaches overnight, residents urged to evacuateAs California faces heavy rainfall and flooding, the Pajaro River levee was breached overnight. Restoration efforts will resume on Saturday.
Read more »