Santa Cruz prepares its streets ahead of a potentially wet winter

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- KION is taking a closer look at the critical state of road projects affected by winter storm damage in Santa Cruz County. 

The ongoing need for funding repairs has never been more urgent. 

County officials gave us an up-close look at damage caused by flooding and landslides, some dating as far back as 2017.

Road projects in Santa Cruz are facing challenges relating to funding and repair efforts.

FEMA's lengthy federal approval process being a major hurdle.

"The biggest challenge is FEMA, they're very slow with their processing and their approvals," Matt Machado, director of community development & infrastructure said. "The 23 disasters, we're still in the process of getting needed approvals, and that's we're almost two years out now, you know, with this coming winter."  

Some sites affected by damage as far back as 2017 remain not repaired. 

This delay is compounded by a lack of local funding due to unapproved reimbursements from previous disasters.

"We just can't keep up with the type of and amount of damage that we're getting," Steve Wiesner, assistant director of public works division said. "What we really think is the resources available for for road, both road maintenance and repairs really aren't sufficient for us to keep up with what the needs are out there."

With increasingly frequent and intense storms, the demand for repairs is expected to rise.

Officials emphasize how the county prioritizes repairs.

"If it's a one way and one way out road, that's a high priority because people can be trapped," Machado said. "We're looking at safety is number one and so if there's multiple ways into an area that'll be a slightly lower priority."

One road of particular concern is redwood lodge road, a critical connection between Soquel San Jose road and Highway 17.

Currently,  it’s impassable, isolating residents from main roads and emergency services.

"They can't use the road right now it's totally severed Wiesner said. "Should they need to either evacuate due to some type of a natural disaster or a wildfire or something like that, their options are limited."

With increasing demands for repairs and the limitation on current funding, county officials stress the importance of exploring new funding options.