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County unveils emergency road‑damage prioritization tool and reports progress on storm repairs
Summary
County staff reported completion and status of road repairs from the 2016–17 and 2023 storms and unveiled a new, data‑driven Emergency Road Damage Assessment tool to prioritize limited resources for repairs; the board accepted the report unanimously.
Santa Cruz County public‑works officials told the Board of Supervisors on March 25 that they have completed hundreds of storm‑repair projects tied to the 2016–17 and 2023 disaster declarations and introduced a new GIS‑backed Emergency Road Damage Assessment tool to help prioritize remaining repairs.
Public Works reported that, across the two major storm events, the county has completed more than 300 projects valued at nearly $197 million, with dozens of additional projects in design or on hold pending federal (FEMA) funding obligations. At the peak of the January–March 2023 “atmospheric river” events, county crews faced as many as 60 road closures simultaneously.
To help make transparent, data‑driven decisions about remaining repairs, county staff showed a new assessment tool that combines six criteria — traffic volumes, detour time, extent of lane loss, culvert and utility damage, equity (access and functional needs), and proximity to critical facilities (fire stations, hospitals, schools) — into a weighted score for every damaged segment. The GIS dashboard displays scores and allows staff and supervisors to view highest‑scoring sites, compare detour minutes and other factors, and tailor weightings as priorities change.
Staff cautioned that the tool is only one piece of decision‑making: funding availability, leveraging (matching) potential, and risk exposure from nearby vulnerable infrastructure also must be considered. The board unanimously accepted and filed the status update and directed staff to use the tool as part of future prioritization and reporting.
Ending: Supervisors praised the transparent approach. Staff said they will continue to update the GIS dashboard and will bring project recommendations using the tool to future meetings, while coordinating obligation timing with FEMA and managing county cash‑flow constraints.
