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new york
CNN
–
The Wharfhouse sits at the end of a long wooden Southern California pier overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Now it is almost unreachable.
The Wharf House restaurant, a familiar institution to residents of the coastal town of Capitola in Santa Cruz County, sits alone, boarded up, damaged, its future uncertain. There is a large hole near the center of the pit, caused by the unfreezing rain and storms that have pounded the aging wood in recent days.
Owner Willie Case, 82, hasn’t been to his favorite restaurant since the night of Jan. 4. He’s owned it for 35 years.
“I don’t know how much damage there is. I couldn’t reach him,” he said.
Powerful winter storms brought heavy rain, wind, flooding and dangerous mudslides the likes of which California has not seen in decades. The anger It had dire consequences for many home and business owners.
After years of drought, persistent storms across California have put tens of millions of residents at risk of life-threatening flooding, mudslides and evacuation hours.
The rain arrived on the arid West Coast in early November and didn’t let up. Much of California is receiving 400% to 600% above average rainfall totals. As thousands fled their homes, the worsening weather upended lives and businesses.
On a typically sunny California day, walking up the 900-foot-tall Capitol Pier under a sea breeze and cloudless sky is as much fun for diners as it is for diners with the ocean in front and the beach behind it.
Families regularly come to The Wharf House to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner and live music.
It is now shrouded in darkness. Case said angry waves rose 30 to 40 feet.
“Eight rescuers were lost in the burning water. “We don’t know if the water came out on the floor of the restaurant because we couldn’t see anything,” he said.
He hopes a break in the storm will allow him to use drones to survey the full extent of the damage. “The only way to get to it is by boat. The way the waves are receding on the beach right now, I can’t do it,” Case said.
While he waits and waits for the best, he worries about what maintenance is needed for his business and his pier.
“Repair is not easy. It’s already unstable and you need cranes to move the stacks back. It takes time and a lot of money,” he said. The case has difficulty in securing liability insurance. “It doesn’t cover a business that is above water, especially when an ‘act of God’ occurs,” he said.
About 5 million people were under flood watches as another atmospheric river brought more rain to California.
Flood watches are in place primarily for northern and central California, including Sacramento, the North Bay and Redding, adding to an already difficult situation for residents struggling with flood-damaged neighborhoods.
Sam DeNicola, 30, hopes for good things in the coming days as he and his crew clean up the bakery.
The bakery’s owner, DeNicola, opened his first storefront in San Luis Obispo, California’s Central Coast region. He said the bakery makes and sells organic, artisanal bread using California-grown grains and wheat. The bakery also has a bike delivery service.
The business is located in a low-lying area and very little distance from the city center. On Monday, DeNicola waded through knee-high water to reach the bakery.
“There is a stream that runs through the town and all this rain has filled it,” he said.
Once inside the store, he said it was even better than he expected. “There was water damage, but luckily our floors are concrete and easy to clean and sanitize. We put our equipment 6 inches off the ground and the water was two to four inches high,” DeNicola said.
He has been out of work for a few days and is worried that more rain is coming. Because he generates more business by selling bread at the local farmers market two days a week.
We may still be able to keep the shop open during the rainy season. But people don’t go to farmers markets when it rains a lot. That’s hard for us,” DeNicola said.
Ali Jansen, 44, recounted the horror of waking up Monday morning and looking out the window as the street in front of her building turned into a river.
Jansen owns Frame Works, a custom painting business and art center in San Luis Obispo. Her 2,500-square-foot store is on the ground floor in the same building, with her family.
Heavy rain last weekend forced a nearby creek to overflow, pushing water over bridges and into streets, she said. “We probably got over six inches of rain in 18 hours from Sunday to Monday,” she said. At first she was unable to cross the water into her shop.
It took a few hours to get back. When it happened, the damage was obvious. “There was mud and debris. Most of the artwork was on the wall and it was fine. But some of the custom artworks were damaged,” she said.
“People entrust us with irreplaceable pieces from Etsy or their great-grandmother’s needlework,” she said.
Days later, Jansen is still cleaning out the shop. “I worked from morning till night. “If I stop, I feel like I’m going to collapse from the pain,” she said. She should continue drying the area as soon as possible.
“If mold gets in, that can be a big problem,” she said. “I have to replace the drywall. I also have asthma so I can’t risk it. She estimates about $10,000 worth of damage so far and is afraid that if she has to deal with mold it could skyrocket.”
“I’m very concerned,” she said.
Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jonathan Stornetta said his team is busy trying to find infrastructure damage in and around the city.
Located north of San Luis Obispo, the city is famous for its wineries.
Heavy rains forced the Salinas River, which bisects Paso Robles, to swell and flood, damaging roadways, homes and businesses, he said. “The flood level of the river is 29 feet. We hit 32 feet,” Stornett said.
The city was forced to evacuate earlier in the week. “We did three waterway rescues and a helicopter rescue,” he said.
At Tablas Creek Vineyards, 15 minutes west of Paso Robles, viticulturist Jordan Lonborg shot video of Las Tablas Creek rushing over its banks as the water surged past the vineyard gate.
“Even for a little hair,” Lonborg said.
We got 6.5 inches of rain in 24-36 hours. The ground is full and there is no place to run,” he said. The flood waters washed away the main road leading to the vineyard. “It is our primary destination in the city. So now it takes 40 minutes to reach the city instead of 20 minutes,” he said.
Stll, he does not complain because the rain can be good for the wine business.
“We rely on rain because 40% of the vineyard is dry. That’s why the winter rain is so important for the plants,” he said. Although the rain completely saturates the soil around the dormant vines, Lonborg says the soil is firmly held and there is no risk of erosion.
“We have planned for heavy rains and prepared our soil,” he said.
But the rains and floods halted another crucial aspect of the wine business – tastings. With Main Street under water, the winery had to cancel tasting events.
“We rely on the taste of business at the moment,” Lonborg said. “Profit margins are in direct-to-consumer sales. Some wineries only sell direct to consumer and don’t have online sales. For them, that can be a big problem.”
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