THE MARCH 2011 STORM

This the courtyard where I live in Santa Cruz. It was really pouring hard for a long time during this storm.  I hadn't seen this much rain since January 1982. That year there was widespread flooding and the damage was everywhere. This storm wasn't so bad but there was still a lot of flooding in the major river and creeks. This post is not a complaint about flooding or damage or inconvenience in view of the terrible damage and loss of life in Japan earlier this month. I'm just posting as a memory of this day.

The San Lorenzo River runs right down the middle of Santa Cruz, CA. In 1955 it was still a natural river  but then a devastating flood wreaked havoc in the community. It was a terrible blow to everyone that lived here then. As a response to the flood, the Army Corps of Engineers built a levee to protect the low-lying areas near the river. In 1982 there was a "100 years" flood that almost overwhelmed the levee so a modification was made. This time the levee height was increased by 12'. It is the only levee in America that has trees on it. Tree roots break up the soil in the banks of the river. For that reason an impermeable membrane was installed and the trees were planted. The ones that have survived are doing well.

I took this shot on April 7 to show what the river looks like most of the time.

It was the end of the day so I waited for the possibility of the sun peaking through the scattered clouds that were part of a very cold front that passed through the area. The sunlight really sets this photo off.

 

This storm tested that new levee. The 20' marker used to be the flood stage before the sides of the levee were raised.

By late afternoon the storm had let up enough for me to take this photograph of It's Beach at the Lighthouse Point State Beach in Santa Cruz. I used to supervise the maintenance of the park when the City of Santa Cruz owned it. Now the State of California has taken control. This is one of my favorite places to take photos of the Monterey Bay.

The storm generated some decent waves. Every time there is an announcement by NOAA that there will be high surf, people rush down to the cliffs to watch. Every year someone gets washed out to sea by a "rouge" wave. Still they come. The people that get washed away are from the lower end of the gene pool. Nature takes its way!

Taken with a Canon 10D

Please click one of the boxes below to make a quick one-word comment. 

Or....

Send me an email.