When the 2023 storms and floods devastated Pajaro and other communities across the Central Coast, Community Bridges stepped forward—immediately and for the long haul. Through our Family Resource Collective and trusted partnerships across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, we provided rapid relief, direct financial assistance, and recovery case management to ensure families could stay safe, stabilize, and begin rebuilding with dignity.
In the first ten months after the March 11, 2023 Pajaro flood, Community Bridges launched the Pajaro Valley Storm Recovery Plan. We distributed more than $1.7 million in economic assistance to more than 1,000 storm-impacted residents—prioritizing households with the greatest need, including low-income families and those whose homes sustained major damage. That early response laid the groundwork for deeper, long-term recovery.
In 2024 and 2025, we are proud to continue this commitment as a selected nonprofit partner in the County of Monterey’s Pajaro Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance Program, backed by $20 million in state recovery funds brought into the community by local and state advocacy. Alongside Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey, Community Bridges helped distribute $5.4 million in recovery assistance to affected individuals and households—supporting evacuees, replacing essential belongings, assisting with housing and vehicle losses, and investing in long-term community resilience.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the state and county leaders, foundation partners, community organizations, and thousands of individual donors whose generosity made this recovery possible. Because of your commitment, critical dollars reached families when they needed them most.
As recovery continues, Community Bridges remains alongside 2023 flood survivors through La Manzana Community Resources and our broader Community Bridges family of programs, providing ongoing case management, resource navigation, and support.
We also help families prepare for future emergencies, and you can find helpful tools and resources on our Disaster Recovery & Emergency Preparedness page: communitybridges.org/emergency.
We’re proud to have been selected as a nonprofit partner in the County of Monterey’s Pajaro Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance Program – a unique and unprecedented opportunity made possible through the hard work of local government, invaluable community partners, and the State of California.
This program, backed by $20 million in recovery funds secured by our state legislators, assists individuals, households, and small businesses affected by the levee breach.
As a trusted nonprofit partner, Community Bridges’ Family Resource Collective has overseen the multi-phase distribution of $5.4 million in individual and household recovery assistance along with our partners are Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey.
Phase 1 – Evacuation and Food Assistance (Completed)
In Phase 1, Community Bridges provided up to $600 in economic assistance to help residents recover from food spoilage caused by the evacuation order following the 2023 flood.
The first round of Phase 1 wrapped up in April 2024, and a second round opened on December 18, 2024.
Across both rounds, roughly 700 households received evacuation and food assistance totaling $942,788 in aid.
Round 1: $469,773 distributed to 687 households
Round 2: $473,015 distributed to 664 households
As part of the final phase of the program that ends in November 2025, all households that received Phase 1 assistance will also receive additional funds, based on household size.
Community Bridges will contact eligible households with details on how to receive these funds.
No action is required by applicants at this time.
Phase 2 – Home, Vehicle, and Property Assistance (Completed)
Households that qualified through Phase 1 were automatically moved into Phase 2, which provided targeted support for home repairs, vehicle replacement, housing assistance, and personal property losses.
As of October 2025, Phase 2 is complete. Together, Community Bridges and Catholic Charities have distributed more than $4.6 million in recovery aid through this phase:
Personal Property Assistance: $2.8 million
Home Repair Assistance: $618,000
Vehicle Assistance: $263,000
Housing Assistance: $29,000
Phase 3 – Community Resilience Funding (Completed)
Phase 3 launched in October 2025 and has now concluded. Managed by Community Bridges, this final phase provided additional direct financial assistance to residents impacted by the flooding, ensuring that every remaining dollar from AB 102 was returned directly to the Pajaro community.
All households that received assistance in Phase 1 or Phase 2 were automatically eligible for Phase 3, with no additional application required. Community Bridges staff conducted direct outreach to qualifying families to facilitate distribution of these funds.
For more detailed information about the program, individuals are encouraged to visit readymontereycounty.org/recover.
Community Bridges was one of the lead local agencies providing immediate and long-term services to families impacted by the March 2023 floods in Pajaro. Our Pajaro Valley Storm Recovery Plan was launched in the immediate aftermath of the March 11th flood in Pajaro.
Between March 11th, 2023 and November 2023, Community Bridges distributed more than $1.7 million in economic assistance, thanks to thousands of donations to our flood relief fund and support from partnering nonprofits and our foundation partners.
Community Bridges prioritized grants for families, people living at or below 80% of the area median income, and people whose residences sustained major damage and were yellow, orange, or red-tagged, according to the County of Monterey’s Damage Assessment Map.
More than 1,000 people accessed our three-wave economic assistance program detailed below that was implemented over the 10 months following the flood.
The First Wave began immediately after the flood. In this wave, applicants received a $500 grant if:
The following organizations also assisted in distribution of assistance during the First Wave the below:
This initial assistance was made possible by the investment of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and Community Foundation for Monterey County.
The Second Wave began in May 2023.
In this wave, grants ranged between $1,450-2,750 and were made available thanks to private donations and government assistance from the County of Monterey.
In this wave, applicants received a grant if they could:
The Third Wave was for extreme recovery and rebuilding cases assisted by case managers through Community Bridges and Catholic Charities. This wave began in tandem with the second wave, as a long-term recovery group assisted families and individuals who needed additional support.
There was no range for grant funding, as money was be distributed as needed to help with the following:
Donations for the final wave were expended in late 2023.
In response to the series of storms across California from December 2022 through April 2023, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) provided state-funded storm recovery services to offer disaster relief case management and direct assistance to eligible individuals who experienced hardship from the storms and could not access federal assistance due to immigration status.
Direct assistance payments were provided to help storm-impacted individuals and households cover necessary costs, including housing, food, and transportation.
Qualifying adults received $1,500, children (under 18 years old) received $500, with a maximum of $4,500 per household. A household was defined as individuals who lived together and purchased and prepared meals together.
Storm recovery services were available in California counties where the President issued a Major Disaster Declaration and approved Individual Assistance (IA) due to the impact of the storms.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey, Community Action Board of Santa Cruz, and Ventures implemented the program in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
The program ended in May 2024.
For more information about the program, click HERE.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency offered assistance for families impacted by the March 11 flood. The deadline to apply for individual assistance was Sept. 1, 2024. People who need help with their applications or appeals can visit:
FEMA Individual and Household Assistance may include:
San Lorenzo Valley residents impacted by the “Bomb Cyclone” in March can visit Mountain Community Resources at 6134 Highway 9 for help with insurance claims, FEMA applications and appeals, and replacement of tools of the trade, among other things.
Mountain Community Resources is open Monday and Thursday from 9am to 4:30pm (closed from lunch between noon and 1pm) and Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am to 12pm. It is open by appointment on Tuesday and Wednesday between 1-5pm. Call 831-335-6600 for additional information.
Celebrating 50 Years of Support
Join us at Food From the Heart to honor this legacy and support the future of senior care.
Celebrating 50 Years of Support
Join us at Food From the Heart to honor this legacy and support the future of senior care.
Every Family Needs a Plan
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