With towering waves pounding the coast Thursday, the Capitola village was once again left flooded. Robert Handa reports.
With towering waves pounding the coast Thursday, the Capitola village was once again left flooded.
Multiple inches of seawater could be seen covering roadways and sidewalks in the popular beachfront village.
Community members were racing to keep water out of businesses in the village, while others working to repair the wharf that was damaged last winter tried to move a crane before repeated hits by thundering waves could knock it into the ocean.
"Unless you want to be on the news with your crane in the water with waves coming through the cab, you may want to move it," Capitola public works employee Cooper Senden said.
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Senden watched last January as waves ripped the wharf in half.
Crews are on schedule to complete the restoration project by this summer as long as it doesn’t get torn apart by waves again this winter.
Residents worry the high surf this week will cause more damage to beachfront properties and businesses and to the wharf itself.
"That’s a big concern for all of us," Justine Fanthorpe of Capitola said. "That’s one of our jewels here."
The owners of the Sand Bar saw their floor literally come apart.
"The waves were coming in faster than we thought and all of a sudden it felt like the ground crumble above us," Sand Bar owner Mina Santos said. "Then everybody left the restaurant because we were all being evacuated at that time."
The owner of Paradise Beach Grill was grateful that his damage is reparable.
"I know a lot of the merchants are hurting, too," Fanthorpe said. "This doesn’t help."
Prior to the storm, city workers removed garbage cans and closed roads in anticipation of the big waves. They also worked to clear storm drains.
Meanwhile, flood victims are now looking for help like last year.
"We applied for everything, but we have yet to receive any help," Santos said. "I'm hoping this time around it's a little bit different and we receive more help from FEMA and the government."
Several business owners said they never got any financial assistance from FEMA after January floods. They said they have got enough painful memories without having to go through all that again, but they are going to try.
