Capitola Village Businesses Destroyed After ‘Bomb Cyclone’

KSBW ^ | Jan 6, 2023 | Christian Balderas

[nickcarraway]

Heavy rain, powerful winds and over 30-foot waves battered Capitola overnight and into Thursday afternoon, wreaking havoc to coastal businesses.

"We have sustained some significant damage on the Capitola Wharf, so we're declaring a state of emergency," Mayor Margaux Keiser said Wednesday afternoon.

About 350 people were given evacuation orders in Capitola Village—the city's main tourist destination filled with shops and restaurants—and a neighborhood along the Soquel Creek, where the water level shot up above ten feet, beyond what city officials predicted.

"Where we would have expected it with this high tide is probably around six feet, yet we were seeing water in people's homes and onto the Riverview Pathway during waves," Capitola's city manager, Jamie Goldstein, said.

The damage is concentrated in Capitola Village, which remains closed until businesses can rebuild.

Despite preparing as best they could for the 'bomb cyclone' beachfront restaurants are severely destroyed. Windows are blown out, walls are torn down, furniture is now beyond repair and extensive debris littered the flooded floors.

Businesses across the street from the beach sustained minimal damage, some even unscathed, according to Joshua Kochanek, owner of LittleKoe's Beach Bites in Capitola Village.

"I'm pretty lucky. The building I'm in received no damage whatsoever, but everyone around us bad damaged," Kochanek said.

"Some of them might not be able to repair it and some of them might take months and months to do because the whole foundation is destroyed underneath the restaurant."

By nightfall Thursday, the city's public works department was able to clear out a significant amount of water and debris—some of which is from the wharf that was split in two.

While crews are still assessing the extent of the damage, plans to apply for federal and state emergency relief aid is already underway, according to Mayor Margaux Keiser,

"There's been a lot of community outpour of support already, just wanting to know how they can help, and that always feels good," Keiser said.

"Coming from a small town, these are kind of the times that we see a lot of people come together so that's really nice. But I am worried about the businesses and employees and all the people affected, a lot of the restaurants were hit hard."

[nickcarraway]

[StAnDeliver]

Average Midwestern F2 tornado. Dozens of times a year, gets a fraction of the coverage of what the Kalifornia pearl klutchers demand from their Big Nanny media and its bankrupt State.

[nickcarraway]

Ping

[ifinnegan]

Back in profane backslid days I called it Capasstolie.

[Political Junkie Too]

I was saddened to see the photos of Zelda's On The Beach.

I hope Shadowbrook is okay, I love that restaurant.

-PJ

[Zathras]

Shadowbrook is wonderful!

[nickcarraway]

Support structures dislodged from the Capitola Wharf by powerful waves sit at bottom left after crashing through Zelda’s by the Beach on Thursday. The gap left by the section of the wharf that was destroyed by the storm can be seen at rear. Dominick King, who’s adjacent My Thai Beach restaurant also sustained major damage walks by on the deck as storm surge flows up Soquel Creek. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Artist Roland Van Loon walks across the Capitola Esplanade after salvaging his painting titled “Capitola” from the storm-damaged My Thai Beach restaurant Thursday afternoon. Loon had hung the painting a few days ago. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

[nickcarraway]

I don’t think Zelda’s since the 80s or 90s, but I’ve been at Shadowbrook more recently. Shadowbrook is on the river, so less likely to be dmaged.

[Political Junkie Too]

Video from Shadowbrook's creekside seating area along Soquel Creek.

Fox News video of Shadowbrook - scroll down to the thirdd video.

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

Just as long as Pizza My Heart is okay, I'm okay.

-PJ

[Frapster]

I saw a video of a guy standing on the beach as the waves approached. It was clear he was looking at a very large incoming wave... why he took so long to start running was surprising. After a short sprint he turned... had to start running again. They were easily 30ft waves.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks. You can read all about the damage in Capitolo (stet - CapitolO) at this report. It’s even misspelled in the URL!

https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/bomb-cyclone-beach-santa-cruz-capitolo-aptos

[Political Junkie Too]

I have very fond memories of summer beach parties at the Venetian.

-PJ

[Jolla]

Nice place Capitola, IIRC Hitchcock was there on a weekend getaway when he read about some crazy birds that were attacking people and came up with an idea for a movie.
Also Harry Hooper lived there, he was a great outfielder for the Boston Red Sox with Duffy Lewis and Tres Speaker in the early days of the World Series and was there when they brought in 18 year old George Herman Ruth.

[no-s]

> as long as Pizza My Heart is okay

you may be SOL, I saw a security cam video from inside the store, with waves hitting the front door, water rising from underneath...

[Political Junkie Too]

Yeah, I was afraid of that.

It was a sentimental favorite, but I'm afraid that I will never be back in Capitola since moving back to Texas awhile back.

I made one trip back to California a year after moving away for personal reasons, and made a point of spending an overnight at the Venetian just to have dinner at Shadowbrook one more time.

-PJ

[martin_fierro]

Here’s hoping Mr. Toot’s fared ok