In Monterey County, the Town of Pajaro Has Flooded

As residents across California continue to cope with heavy wind and rain, perhaps no community has been hit harder than Pajaro, where thousands of residents evacuated after a levee broke late last Friday, flooding the town.

An unincorporated community in Monterey County, Pajaro is home to mainly low-income Latino farmworkers who provide a large portion of California-grown produce. They’ve lost not only their homes and vehicles to flooding, but also their livelihoods as farms across the county are forced to shut down. 

Episode transcript

Guest: Katherine Monahan, KQED Reporter

For information and referrals to disaster relief organizations, residents of evacuated areas can call 211.

Links:

• Breached Levee Floods Pajaro River Valley, Engulfing Towns as Communities Are Evacuated
• Santa Cruz County Disaster Fund: supporting residents impacted by floods, wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, debris flows, and other disasters in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley
• To Donate directly to farmworkers and learn more about the reality of farmworkers in CA check out the Center for Farmworker Families
• DONATING ITEMS: Donations can be taken to the Raíces y Cariño center at 1205 Freedom Blvd in Watsonville. They are there each day this week until 5pm.
  • Requested Items include: diapers, baby wipes, feminine pads, bath towels, warm blankets, new socks and underwear, bottled water, gently used clothing in good condition, and art and craft supplies for kids. If you bring food, it should be pre-packaged and non-perishable.
• The Bay Survey