Field Work: Student Survey of Pajaro Flooding Victims Will Inform Future Emergency Response

“[Pajaro residents] wanted help but had such a hard time being able to access it. Even to get basic necessities, it was a struggle,” said Erin Lawrence, an environmental policy and management student. “That’s the story we are trying to tell. That’s what we hear from them and what we want to share to get them the help they are still needing.”

An early morning levee breach in March 2023 flooded more than 200 homes in the small, mainly Hispanic community of Pajaro. Many residents are farmworkers, laboring in nearby strawberry fields—which endured $160 million in losses during the floods.

Lawrence, alongside fellow environmental policy student Kevin Heller and advisor Dr. Netta Avineri, began researching the emergency response effort more than a year later in June 2024. The survey was part of project led by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and the Community Action Board for Santa Cruz County (CAB), which was working to create policy solutions that can be implemented for future climate emergencies to reduce suffering. Read the final report.

CAB staff members surveyed nearly 250 people and the students engaged in multiple phases of data analysis, identifying far-reaching effects of the flood.

“The flood impacted almost every aspect of their lives. People were displaced or injured, lost possessions, missed work, or had financial struggles and debt,” Lawrence said. “People are still recovering there. A lot have returned to a somewhat normal life, but it’s a very long, ongoing project.”

Putting Language and Data Learning into Action

While Lawrence had experience with similar projects, this past summer’s internship was her first chance to work with community organizations outside of a classroom setting to meet a real and urgent need. Before engaging in the project’s data analysis, Lawrence completed a literature review to help understand the dynamics of the region and develop research questions. Lawrence and Heller then analyzed the individuals’ survey responses, with Heller helping with Spanish translation.

They found significant communication barriers for Pajaro residents and inadequate assistance during the long recovery period.

“People did not have enough time to prepare and evacuate or there were not enough avenues to reach people about the levee breach,” Lawrence said. “A lot of support was given, especially by community organizations, but the impact was so great that people just could not get enough of the support and resources they needed to recover from a natural disaster.”

The top two themes that emerged from the surveys was that residents need more direct financial support and additional assistance from local organizations and the government. Lawrence said 34 of her survey respondents were still recovering and many said it took between 30 days to one year to return to a sense of normalcy.  

As Lawrence wrapped up her contribution to the project over the summer, she hoped her work would help inform future emergency response work in Pajaro and similar communities.

“This survey analysis will inform a report for emergency response and recovery and policy recommendations,” Lawrence said. “People know this happened, but this data brings more concrete evidence that people suffered and need more resources.”