Flood of 1982.
Soquel Flood History
This is a list of some (but not all) of the floods since 1846 along with the source of the information or quote.
December, 1846. Heavy rains pummeled central California and a heavy snowfall blanketed the Sierra. There was no town of Soquel yet, but a lumber mill built on Soquel Creek by John Daubenbiss and John Hames washed away. —Leon Rowland, The Story of Old Soquel
January 1862. “Water flowed four feet deep through Soquel Village. . . . Mills, flumes, houses, barns, a school, and the town hall were all destroyed.” —Gary Griggs, Between Paradise and Peril.
1869. “The most fearful rain storm we have witnessed in California occurred on Tuesday night last. . . . In Soquel, the town was flooded, next to the creek, and we are informed that the new bridge, just above the forks of the creek, was carried away. The bridge cost $2,500, was built last summer, and was thought to be above the reach of all floods or danger from driftwood.” --Sentinel, 2-13-69
1890. Soquel Creek reached its highest point for many years this morning. . . . In Nathan Hart’s house, the water stood a foot and a half deep; the furniture was all damaged. Mr. Hart stepped out of bed into a part of Soquel Creek which was running through his bedroom. The water was four feet deep in front of his house, which stands between John Bowman’s store and H. Weller’s saloon. --Santa Cruz Surf, 2-1-90
1911. “The flood waters in Soquel were said to have been higher this past storm than ever before. There was two feet of water in the store of the Angell Bros. Four houses were so completely drenched that even the mattresses on the beds were reached by the flood. . . .” --Sentinel, 3-4-11
1931. “For the first time since 1890, the Soquel River rose to perilous flood heights, spreading its channel to a width of about 600 feet, damaging property along its banks down to its mouth in Capitola.” --Santa Cruz Evening News, 12-28-31
1940. “Soquel—famous in Santa Cruz for its cherries—was just as famous for its flooded streets yesterday as Soquel Creek jumped its banks and flooded the central section of the small community. . . . One of the heaviest losers in the Soquel area was Mac Fisher, who operates the motor court at the bridge. Several cabins were destroyed and those remaining had four feet of water in them, Fisher said.” --Sentinel, 2-28-40
1955. “Flood damage to Soquel’s business district and homes along Soquel Creek was approaching the half-million dollar mark this morning in a survey of the mud-caked and littered area. . . . Probably the worst hit in the Soquel business district was Willbanks Brothers’ Red and White grocery store. The entire interior is in shambles. . . . The Cunnison Brothers garage on Soquel Drive was all but destroyed. . . . Six or seven businessmen who rushed to their businesses to save what they could were marooned. Several were picked out of trees, a few in the attics of their stores, and one off the top of Cunnison Brothers’ gas pump. . . . Both ends of the Soquel Bridge are out on Soquel Drive.” --Sentinel, 12-28-55
1963. “Almost steady rain, surging at times to near cloudburst proportions, . . . caused Soquel Creek to overflow its banks in the heart of Soquel. . . . Swirling, muddy-brown water rushed to within two feet of the Soquel Bridge.” --Sentinel, 1-31-63
1982. “Mud was chest high in some portions of downtown Soquel this morning after a raging Soquel Creek jumped its banks and filled the area with brown, swirling water Monday. Soquel Fire Chief Steve Negro estimated damage would reach into the millions and said many business structures suffered heavy structural damage. Sixty to 70 persons were reported homeless, and two mobile home parks were destroyed. . . . The front of Soquel Auto Parts was caved in and there was three feet of mud inside the Soquel Fire Station. Mud was packed up four feet in the post office. . . . Mobile homes in the two parks downtown were lying on their sides and roofs.” --Sentinel, 1-5-82
List compiled by Frank Perry, 2023
December, 1846. Heavy rains pummeled central California and a heavy snowfall blanketed the Sierra. There was no town of Soquel yet, but a lumber mill built on Soquel Creek by John Daubenbiss and John Hames washed away. —Leon Rowland, The Story of Old Soquel
January 1862. “Water flowed four feet deep through Soquel Village. . . . Mills, flumes, houses, barns, a school, and the town hall were all destroyed.” —Gary Griggs, Between Paradise and Peril.
1869. “The most fearful rain storm we have witnessed in California occurred on Tuesday night last. . . . In Soquel, the town was flooded, next to the creek, and we are informed that the new bridge, just above the forks of the creek, was carried away. The bridge cost $2,500, was built last summer, and was thought to be above the reach of all floods or danger from driftwood.” --Sentinel, 2-13-69
1890. Soquel Creek reached its highest point for many years this morning. . . . In Nathan Hart’s house, the water stood a foot and a half deep; the furniture was all damaged. Mr. Hart stepped out of bed into a part of Soquel Creek which was running through his bedroom. The water was four feet deep in front of his house, which stands between John Bowman’s store and H. Weller’s saloon. --Santa Cruz Surf, 2-1-90
1911. “The flood waters in Soquel were said to have been higher this past storm than ever before. There was two feet of water in the store of the Angell Bros. Four houses were so completely drenched that even the mattresses on the beds were reached by the flood. . . .” --Sentinel, 3-4-11
1931. “For the first time since 1890, the Soquel River rose to perilous flood heights, spreading its channel to a width of about 600 feet, damaging property along its banks down to its mouth in Capitola.” --Santa Cruz Evening News, 12-28-31
1940. “Soquel—famous in Santa Cruz for its cherries—was just as famous for its flooded streets yesterday as Soquel Creek jumped its banks and flooded the central section of the small community. . . . One of the heaviest losers in the Soquel area was Mac Fisher, who operates the motor court at the bridge. Several cabins were destroyed and those remaining had four feet of water in them, Fisher said.” --Sentinel, 2-28-40
1955. “Flood damage to Soquel’s business district and homes along Soquel Creek was approaching the half-million dollar mark this morning in a survey of the mud-caked and littered area. . . . Probably the worst hit in the Soquel business district was Willbanks Brothers’ Red and White grocery store. The entire interior is in shambles. . . . The Cunnison Brothers garage on Soquel Drive was all but destroyed. . . . Six or seven businessmen who rushed to their businesses to save what they could were marooned. Several were picked out of trees, a few in the attics of their stores, and one off the top of Cunnison Brothers’ gas pump. . . . Both ends of the Soquel Bridge are out on Soquel Drive.” --Sentinel, 12-28-55
1963. “Almost steady rain, surging at times to near cloudburst proportions, . . . caused Soquel Creek to overflow its banks in the heart of Soquel. . . . Swirling, muddy-brown water rushed to within two feet of the Soquel Bridge.” --Sentinel, 1-31-63
1982. “Mud was chest high in some portions of downtown Soquel this morning after a raging Soquel Creek jumped its banks and filled the area with brown, swirling water Monday. Soquel Fire Chief Steve Negro estimated damage would reach into the millions and said many business structures suffered heavy structural damage. Sixty to 70 persons were reported homeless, and two mobile home parks were destroyed. . . . The front of Soquel Auto Parts was caved in and there was three feet of mud inside the Soquel Fire Station. Mud was packed up four feet in the post office. . . . Mobile homes in the two parks downtown were lying on their sides and roofs.” --Sentinel, 1-5-82
List compiled by Frank Perry, 2023