Santa Cruz Mountains

Residents in Santa Cruz Mountains struggle after landslide blocks access to major road

For the last two weeks, dozens of families living on Mountain Charlie Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains had to make strenuous hikes just to get to their homes.

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A landslide in one neighborhood in the Santa Cruz Mountains has left residents who live nearby with few options.

During a storm late last month, a landslide destroyed a section of Mountain Charlie Road, impacting more than 100 residents.

“Everything has been 10 times harder to do in a day,” said Santa Cruz County resident Amanda Watson.

On Saturday, one resident carried his groceries down a ravine and then, back up the other side just to get to his home.

For the last two weeks, residents in the area have had to backpack food in and carry their own trash out. The residents also had to make dangerous hikes to get to their homes. But it’s not their only challenge.

“Propane is our next real big concern. Because there is no way for a propane truck to get through right now,” Watson said.

Most of the people who live in the area rely on propane for heat, cooking and backup generators. But residents are most concerned if there’s a fire or someone has a medical emergency when they are trapped.

“There are some of us who have medical conditions. So, that is a big concern,” said Santa Cruz County resident Don Ferris.

There appears to be no end to the extreme mountain living. Watson said Santa Cruz County leaders have given no timeline on when things might improve.

“We’ve been told that basically until it stops moving, they can’t make any assessments,” she said.

NBC Bay Area reached out to Santa Cruz County for comment on Saturday. But did not hear back.

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