DEBRIS FLOW in the Santa Cruz Mountains – Winter 2020 – 2021
This is a summary of an on-line TOWN HALL meeting hosted by SUPERVISOR RYAN COONERTY – Notes taken don’t account for every point made in this one hour plus presentation.
Here’s a link to another Town Hall hosted in November by Supervisor Ryan Coonerty on Debris Flows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMQo73D2Xf8&feature=youtu.be
12/4/20 DEBRIS FLOW Latest video – from Gail Mahood San Lorenzo Vally Water District https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=I48gdP05ajY
Here are my notes:
Loose soil & rock can move quickly when oversaturated by rains, and even bring down trees.
Speed of a debris flow can reach 30 mph and will destroy everything in its path.
Fire makes drainage worse, leaving a waxy residue on soils so water doesn’t percolate. Burned slopes lost organic matter that normally stabilizes soils.
Short/Intense rains can send debris flow down quickly.
Cal Fire Watershed Emergency Response Team surveyed and mapped probability of flows with on site and computer modeling. Local geological staff contributed.
County map
https://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/FireRecovery/DebrisFlowsMudflows.aspx plug in your Address!
Dark Blue is highest risk and most likely – Here’s a snapshot of the map as of December 7th 2020
Cannot be stopped, unlike fires, debris fans out quickly: wide and long
Debris flows can move at the speed of an avalanche
Debris flows move much faster than our recent CZU fire moved
Montecito Santa Barbara 1/9/18 Debris Flow incident
- People were given 24 hours warning
- 4 AM it started
- 21 fatalities / 2 missing; never found
- 425 structures destroyed.
- Debris flows can extend for miles
- This Debris Flow went all the way out to, and buried, Highway 1
- Residents on flat land can definitively be affected
- People didn’t heed the evacuation orders – only 28% evacuated
- County Maps do not include new trailers/tents/yurts– only existing residences
- Stay in communication with people: neighbors, Facebook groups, etc.
- know your zone
- Sign up for emergency alerts:
- https://www.zonehaven.com – type in your address, brings you to your zone
- Code Red app SCR911.org –allows you to sign up to receive notifications once you’ve registered your device/phone, text SCR911 to 99411 or at https://www.scr911.org/
- You can also sign up for Reverse 911 for land lines, watch social media
- Keep a battery operated weather radio (and fresh batteries) in case power & internet & cellular go out
- Sheriffs will go door to door & lead the evacuation starting 48 hours in advance of storms
- You’ll need to evacuate If there’s more than a 60% chance of rain measuring 0.7” in an hour or 0.3” in 15 minutes
- If you wait for heavy rain, it’ll be too late to get out.
Pre-pack & Plan: go thru evacuation readiness with household
Pre-plan where you will go to shelter
Pre-plan alternative evacuation routes
Zones change to yellow and then red for evacuations
Hotel bills are not reimbursable by insurance unless a disaster is declared
If you evacuate to stay with family or friends, do so in a COVID safe manner
There will be County sponsored evacuation centers
They said there won’t be any road closures by police or sheriffs, but roads could be blocked by slides. Secure your home before leaving; remove valuables.
Don’t move back into a hazard area without clearance from licensed professional geologist
In loss of power situation, cell service and internet can fail, so have a battery operated weather radio.
Debris flows can block roads so emergency services may be unable to reach people who’ve stayed.
Let family/ friends know where you’ve evacuated to.
Red Cross has “safe and well” registration so people can check on your status.
Debris Flow Warning Testing will start next week.
Their goal is to issue warnings 48 hours in advance of a major rainfall
24 hours evacuation ORDER – gives law enforcement time to go door to door
Insurance typically pays only once an area is declared a disaster
Some of the maps include risks to roads, so even if an area itself doesn’t have debris flow risk, they could get evacuated.
Zonehaven questions: Chief Ian Larkin – ian.larkin@fire.ca.gov
If you’re in a drainage area, or below a steep slope, be highly aware.
Sheriff staff will be greatly increased. 43 deputies in the SLV. Property security is a key focus.
During PG&E power shut-offs – communications systems can fail. What is county doing? Some of communication will be door to door. That’s why they’re doing advance notifications. County & PGE do communicate plans with each other. Battery operated radios are ideal back up info system.
CERT will be handing out info English & Spanish (Community Emergency Response Teams –
santacruzcountycert.org
Boulder Creek typically gets the most rain in the SLV – 40” is average annual rainfall
A lot of SLV Water District water lines were burned. Although they’ve mostly been replaced, they are in areas of debris flows so loss of water supply is quite possible. Store 2 gallons of water per day per person (for a week?)
11/18/20: I got this e-mail from donotreply@scr911.org <no-reply@onsolve.com>
This is a message from the Santa Cruz County Office of Emergency services.
Starting on Thursday, November 19th, Community Emergency Response Team members will be going door to door providing educational and preparedness information in regards to debris flow. In addition, they will be conducting a survey to understand the needs of the community and to help them prepare in case of evacuation. We appreciate your cooperation as they work through the neighborhoods that are Risk of debris flow. For more information about debris flow, go to https://www.santacruzcounty.us/FireRecovery/DebrisFlowsMudflows.aspx
https://www.friendsofsanlorenzovalleywater.org/debris-flows links to maps addressing debris flow hazards – links to geology professionals who can be consulted regarding issues facing individual residents and properties
Last but not least, If your home was lost in the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire:
The DEADLINE to apply for FEMA assistance – for fire losses not covered by insurance – is
12/11/20
The DEADLINE for Debris Removal required Right of Entry forms is
12/15/20
San Lorenzo Valley Homes 