Pajaro is more prepared than ever for any disaster that may come its way, but work remains.

Erik Chalhoub here on a warm day to mark the final week of winter. It’s difficult to imagine this time three years ago, when a barrage of storms pushed the Pajaro River levee to its limit, forcing it to crumble and spill floodwaters through the farmworker community of Pajaro.

My neighborhood was under an evacuation warning for a spell as the water continued to rise, but was never really in any danger. For many not directly affected by the disaster, the late winter of 2023 is a distant memory, perhaps forgotten. There have been plenty of terrible things that have happened since then—locally, nationally and internationally—that caused new worries.

In the aftermath of previous floods, such as in 1995 and 1955, Pajaro residents have felt forgotten. 

But it seems different this time. State lawmakers granted $20 million toward Pajaro’s relief. And while it’s been decades late, work to rebuild the grossly inadequate levee has finally arrived—although the section that will protect Pajaro likely won’t be constructed until the start of the next decade.

In the meantime, if a disastrous flood happens again, Pajaro will be better equipped to handle it.

Earlier last year, 24 Pajaro residents completed emergency response training, helping the community prepare for the next disaster. In addition, Joel Mendoza, chief of North County Fire Protection District, says 10 of the district’s 30 firefighters are now certified in swiftwater rescue. 

Today, March 13, NCFPD unveiled new high water rescue equipment at a celebratory event marking the renovation of the Pajaro Park soccer field and playground after the flood.

Mendoza says the Acela Monterra GL truck—which is thought to be the first of its kind in the state—is able to tread up to 50 inches of water, and carry up to 16 people, with a platform allowing those in a wheelchair to climb aboard.

It’s able to get into about 95 percent of flooded areas in Pajaro, he estimates, and for the other 5 percent, there’s a new motorized rescue boat that can navigate through tight areas. Also included in the new equipment, funded by relief money, is a skid steer that allows crews to clear out muck and load sandbags into trucks, among other duties.

All of the equipment will live at NCFPD’s Elkhorn Road station, about five minutes from Pajaro.

“We’re proud of the equipment, we’re proud of our 10 certified rescuers, and we’re ready to serve,” Mendoza said.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas was on hand to thank Pajaro residents and local leaders for their efforts during and after the flood.

“This is a community that faced real hardship in recent years, but we also saw among those very challenging moments, we saw the strength of this community,” he said. “We saw neighbors helping neighbors, and we saw local leaders working together to support families when they needed it the most.”