SANTA CRUZ – Updates to the California Coastal Commission's permit and appeal jurisdiction map layouts can be considered for approval on the governing body's hybrid meeting Wednesday for 4 California cities, including town of Santa Cruz.

The Areas of licensing and appellate jurisdiction are those inside the coastal zone – or the world generally roughly 1,000 meters inland from the mean high tide line – lying between the ocean and the primary public road, inside 300 feet of a beach, or mean high tide line, where there isn’t any beach, inside 300 feet from a coastal bluff or inside 100 feet of a wetland, estuary or stream, flooded land or public trust land.

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According to the Report on the agenda of the meetingCoastal Commission staff recommend that commissioners approve the revised map layouts for allowing and appellate courts, which include additional text in the shape of a map note for the 4 cities. The report states that the inclusion of the required text corrects an oversight.

Staff also recommends adding text to the maps that shows the general public where to search out details about map symbols.

The text states: “This map and the jurisdictional boundaries presented listed here are part of a bigger series of maps depicting the regulatory boundaries inside Santa Cruz County. For map symbology and appropriate usage information, see the Santa Cruz County Index Map.

According to the report, updating the layout of town's permitting and appeal jurisdiction maps is consistent with the Coastal Commission's current template and doesn’t change the commission's jurisdiction or the boundaries of the governing body's permitting and appeal jurisdiction in any way. The City of Santa Cruz map was adopted by the Coastal Commission in April 2013.

The updated layout for the City of Santa Cruz is included within the meeting agenda packet together with updated maps of Redondo Beach, Seaside and Newport Beach.

Information concerning the meeting and submitting public comments might be found at Coastal.ca.gov.

When you go

What: California Coastal Commission hybrid meeting

When: Wednesday, 9 a.m

Where: On-line

A “spare the air” warning for the Bay Area and a heat warning for the Peninsula coast were prolonged through Sunday, and temperatures rose to record highs Saturday in Oakland and San Rafael, the Bay Area Air Management District and National Weather said Service announced on Saturday.

Homeless residents, elderly residents, children and pets are prone to heat-related illnesses, with those lacking effective cooling or adequate hydration at biggest risk, the weather service statement said.

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Under no circumstances should small children and pets be left unattended in vehicles,” says the warning, which also recommends scheduling strenuous outdoor activities for early morning or late evening.

The warning initially warned of high temperatures from the East Bay, South Bay and eastern San Mateo County south to the Santa Cruz Mountains, southern Salinas Valley, interior Monterey County and San Benito County.

On Saturday evening, National Weather Service meteorologist Dial Hoang said Sunday temperatures across the region would likely peak within the afternoon, reaching around 99 degrees in San Jose, 96 in Palo Alto, 91 in Oakland, 102 in Walnut Creek and Concord and would reach 88 degrees in downtown San Francisco.

Less extreme temperatures are expected in Santa Cruz: around 85 degrees downtown and cooler on the beach, within the mid to upper 70s. At Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek within the Santa Cruz Mountains, temperatures will likely rise above 101 degrees, Hoang said.

Later Sunday afternoon and evening, the South Bay and Peninsula could cool barely because of an onshore flow of cooler air from the coast, Hoang said.

On Saturday, the mercury skyrocketed near downtown Oakland on the Oakland Museum, surpassing the all-time high of 96 degrees set in 1987, the National Weather Service reported. San Rafael reached 106, dramatically breaking the previous record of 94 set in 2014. The 99 degrees in Redwood City matched the town's record set in 1987, the weather service reported, noting that the records were tentative and still being confirmed would must be.

San Rafael is anticipated to chill down on Sunday, with highs near 100 degrees within the afternoon, said Hoang of the weather service.

Temperature records previously set in 1985 were broken Thursday in San Jose (101 degrees) and Salinas (99). On the identical day, King City (103 degrees) broke a record set in 1980. San Jose broke previous records again Friday with temperatures of 98 degrees, two degrees higher than the previous record of 96 degrees set in 1987.

The “spare the air” alert issued from Saturday to Sunday, warning that public ozone pollution is anticipated to achieve unhealthy levels, is the 14th this 12 months and the sixth in per week.

The heat wave is anticipated to ease in the approaching week. “We start to see some relief on Monday,” Hoang said, adding that temperatures should return to seasonal normals by Tuesday.

A high within the mid-90s is anticipated for San Jose on Monday, with Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Walnut Creek and Concord reaching the upper 90s. Temperatures within the high 80s are expected in Oakland.

Originally published: October 5, 2024 at 2:37 p.m

Every September, evening temperatures begin to drop, highschool football games begin, pumpkins sprout in fields, and tens of 1000’s of individuals flock to California's beaches, lakes, rivers and streams to select up trash as a part of the state's largest annual volunteer event, California Coastal Cleanup Day.

The goal is to beautify the environment and reduce trash that may harm fish, birds, sea lions, dolphins and other wildlife. This yr's cleanup, which took place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, marked the fortieth anniversary of the event. The organization planned 761 cleanup sites within the Bay Area and across the state.

To participate next yr or for more information in regards to the event, visit coastalcleanupday.org

You can find the total story here.

Warm water within the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico can trigger powerful hurricanes, but how destructive a storm becomes depends not only on the climate and weather – it also depends upon the people and property which can be in danger.

In many coastal cities, rapid population growth has resulted in additional people living in areas at high risk of flooding.

I’m a geographer studying the human dimensions of climate change and natural disasters. My research and mapping with colleagues shows that vulnerable communities – those least in a position to prepare for or get better from disasters – are inclined to be focused in areas more susceptible to flooding, particularly along the Gulf Coast.

Larger, vulnerable population groups

Almost 40% of the US population lives in a coastal district today. Many of those areas are increasingly exposed to disasters, including hurricanes and flood This was made worse by Sea level rise.

The Gulf of Mexico region specifically is vulnerable to simultaneous disasters brought on by climate change – when multiple disasters occur concurrently. For example, when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas in July 2024, 3 million homes and businesses were without power for several days. within the midst of the scorching summer heat – along with coping with heavy rain and flooding.

To make matters much more complicated, greater than a fifth of the population in Harris County, home of Houston, are considered socially vulnerable, i.e. people who find themselves likely vulnerable to break from extreme weather conditions.

New Orleansone other city with high social vulnerability, was under a hurricane warning And Power outages are expected as Hurricane Francine made landfall in September 2024.

Socially vulnerable populations within the United States include many older adults, individuals with disabilities, people living in poverty, mobile home residents, and other marginalized groups. They often do not need the resources or physical condition to arrange for a storm or the means to rebuild afterward.

Several cities along the Gulf Coast – including Houston; New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; And Tampa, Florida – have large, vulnerable populations which can be at high risk of hurricane damage. In a lot of these cities, land development patterns and policy decisions have increased the potential for damage.

Unchecked urban sprawl

Houston provides a case study within the challenges posed by unchecked urban sprawl in coastal cities.

Harris County grew by a 3rd from 2000 to 2023, gaining 1.3 million residents, making it the third most populous county within the USA The economic boom that accompanied population growth brought jobs to the county, but not all of those jobs are well paid. Harris County The poverty rate is 16.5%significantly above the National average of 11.5%.

After the most important flood damage brought on by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a heated debate erupted. Many observers pointed to a fragile reality: Houston was built on a swampThe laissez-faire mentality typical of Texas politics, which goals to not interfere with growth, has contributed to unchecked urban sprawlturning wetlands into concrete surfaces. When wetlands are simply paved over, heavy rain can’t be absorbed as easily, making latest residential areas extremely vulnerable to flooding.

Preliminary investigations of my research group, which deals with risk decisions notes that of all land use and land cover types in Harris County, built-up area has grown the fastest, from 35% of the county's area in 2000 to 50% in 2020.

Harvey was a vivid example of the importance of stormwater planning in urban development. But because the destruction brought on by the storm fades from collective memory, increasingly more persons are Moving to Houston.

Given the high population density and infrastructure within the coastal region, more persons are in danger. More people mean that the impact of a disaster might be far greater than it was just a number of a long time ago.

Preparing for future disasters

Coastal communities cannot afford to attend for the wake-up call of a disaster to take a position of their protection. To prepare for future disasters, I imagine they should rethink urban development and Climate change at the back of my mind.

Building resilience involves improving flood control infrastructure and improving emergency response capabilities as storms intensify. It also includes implementing zoning regulations that restrict development in flood-prone areas. And it might even require an orderly retreat—through buyouts to maneuver some communities to safer areas.

Educational campaigns are also essential to lift awareness of disaster risks. Accurate flood risk maps, for instance, can Motivating people to take out insurance, select their places of residence more fastidiously and prepare their homes for local risks. Successful awareness campaigns Partnerships with grassroots organizations to expand community networks and reach out to vulnerable populations and help them prepare.

Marine tourism and recreation supports greater than 320,000 jobs and goods and services valued at $13.5 billion in Florida. But in the summertime of 2023, when the water temperature off Miami reached as much as 37.8 degrees Celsius, a swim within the sea became significantly less attractive.

The way forward for some jobs and businesses across the ocean economy has also grow to be more uncertain as oceans warm and damage from storms, sea level rise and maritime heatwaves increases.

Sea temperatures were Warm up within the last century and Record highs last 12 months, mainly as a result of rising greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. Scientists estimate that greater than 90 % of the surplus heat attributable to human activities, was absorbed by the ocean.

This warming, hidden for years in data of interest only to oceanographers, now has profound consequences for coastal economies around the globe.

Understanding the role of the ocean within the economy is something I work on for greater than 40 years, currently at Center for the Blue Economy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Mostly I study the positive contributions of the ocean, but that has began to vary, sometimes dramatically. Climate change has made the ocean a threat to the economy in some ways.

The dangers of sea level rise

One of the most important threats to the economy from ocean warming is rising sea levels. Water heats up, it expands. Together with the meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets, the thermal expansion of the water has led to increased flooding in low-lying coastal areas and the longer term of the island states at risk.

In the USA, rising sea levels will soon overwhelm Jean Charles Island in Louisiana and Tangier Island within the Chesapeake Bay.

Flooding at high tide, even on sunny days, is becoming more common, for instance in Miami Beach; Annapolis, Maryland; Norfolk, Virginia; and San Francisco. Flooding has greater than doubled since 2000 and is on the approach to tripling by 2050 along the country's coasts.

Rising sea levels are also pushing saltwater into freshwater aquifers, that are used to supply water for agriculture. The strawberry harvest in coastal California is already affected.

These impacts are still small and localized. Much greater impacts are related to storms which might be amplified by rising sea levels.

Higher sea levels can worsen storm damage

Warmer ocean water fuels tropical storms. This is one in every of the explanation why meteorologists are warning of a severe hurricane season in 2024.

Tropical storms pick up moisture over warm water and transport it to cooler areas. The warmer the water, the faster the storm can form, the faster it could actually intensify, and the it could take longerleading to destructive storms and heavy rains that may flood cities even removed from the coast.

When these storms hit the already raised sea level, the waves and storm surge can dramatically enlarge the coastlines. flooding.

Tropical cyclones caused greater than $1.3 trillion in damage within the United States from 1980 to 2023, with a median cost of $22.8 billion per storm. Much of this cost was borne by taxpayers.

It's not only tropical storms. Maine saw what can occur when a winter storm in January 2024 created tides 5 feet above normal which filled the coastal roads with sea water.

What does this mean for the economy?

The potential future economic damage from sea level rise is unknown since the pace and magnitude of sea level rise are unknown.

According to at least one estimate, the prices of sea level rise and storm surges alone can be over $990 billion this century. Adaptation measures could only reduce these costs by 100 billion US dollarsThese estimates include direct property damage and damage to infrastructure akin to transport, water systems and ports. They don’t include impacts on agriculture as a result of the intrusion of saline water into aquifers, Agriculture.

Heatwaves within the sea cause difficulties for fisheries

Rising sea temperatures also affect marine life by causing extreme events called marine heatwaves and more gradual, longer-term temperature fluctuations.

In spring 2024, one third of the worldwide oceans Experience heat wavesCorals fight through their fourth global bleaching event in records, as warm ocean temperatures cause them to expel the algae that live of their shells and provides the corals color and food. While corals sometimes get better from bleaching, akin to Half of the world's coral reefs have died since 1950, and their The future after the center of this century is bleak.

The lack of coral reefs is greater than just their beauty. Coral reefs function breeding grounds and feeding grounds for hundreds of fish speciesAccording to NOAA estimates, about half of all federally managed fisheriesincluding snappers and groupers, rely upon reefs sooner or later of their life cycle.

Warmer waters cause fish to migrate to cooler areas. This is particularly evident in cold-water-loving species akin to lobsters, that are steadily moving north to flee warming seas. The once robust lobster fishery in southern New England is decreased significantly.

In the Gulf of Alaska, rising temperatures have nearly worn out snow crabs and shut down a $270 million fishery. completely closed for 2 yearsA serious heat wave off the Pacific coast spanned several years within the 2010s and affected fisheries between Alaska and Oregon.

That is not going to change anytime soon

The gathered ocean heat and greenhouse gases within the atmosphere are influence sea temperatures for hundreds of yearseven when countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 as hoped. So while the oceans Temperatures vary from 12 months to 12 monthsThe overall trend is prone to proceed for at the least one other century.

There isn’t any cold water tap we are able to simply activate to quickly bring ocean temperatures back to “normal,” so communities might want to adapt while all the planet works to slow greenhouse gas emissions to secure the ocean economy for the longer term.