Despite the possibility of three rainstorms starting Tuesday evening, Santa Cruz County is unlikely to see significant progress in replenishing the region’s reservoirs, aquifers. It streams after two years of drought due to the severity of this year’s wildfires.
According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, storms are expected to arrive late Tuesday night and last into Wednesday morning, submerging coastal areas like Santa Cruz with heavy rainfall.
However, on Tuesday, a major storm expected to hit on Sunday night was upgraded to category 5 status.
National Weather Service meteorologist David King said they had an arid winter last year, with little precipitation and dry fuels. This fire season, everyone was on high alert, and the rain that’s falling now will go a long way toward reducing the risk of wildfires.
This weekend’s “atmospheric river” storm is closely monitored by the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center.
The missing mom was found dead in Chula Vista, California.
90% Containment from Estrada Wildfire
NBC Bay Area News reported that the battle against a wildfire raging through Santa Cruz County appears to be winning. CAL FIRE claims that containment on the Estrada Fire has increased to 90 percent after a slow and steady growth, but a total of 150 acres have been destroyed in the blaze.
On Friday afternoon, the Estrada Fire broke out in Watsonville’s northwest region near Hazel Dell Road and Hidden Canyon. The Estrada Ranch prescribed burn was only supposed to cover 20 acres. However, it took off once the wind picked up and eventually covered acres of land.
According to ABC7 News, CAL FIRE spokesperson Angela Bernheisel stated that the ranch is owned by members of the Estrada family, including Greg Estrada, a retired CAL FIRE Battalion Chief.
Although no structures and properties were damaged, one firefighter was injured fighting the blaze. Warnings of impending evacuations were lifted early Sunday morning.
