Hannah Hagemann

The Santa Cruz Mountains are a land of extremes. There’s the exceptional beauty — towering redwoods, sparkling creeks and neon yellow banana slugs. But there have also been walls of flames that charred forests and destroyed neighborhoods; brutal heat waves; and climate change-charged storms that inundated homes, knocked out power and closed roads. Residents have endured the trade-offs to live in an enclave of relative affordability 30 minutes from the beach. But now comes yet another challenge:…

CAPITOLA, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Cleanup crews walked in and out of Capitola Esplanade businesses briskly Friday morning while bulldozers ferried sand across the beach. Floodwaters had receded, but the iconic village once again is in recovery from a massive winter storm. A scene of destruction and danger unfolded Thursday, as huge surf overtopped the already-damaged Capitola wharf, sending seawater into condos and restaurants, and nearly dragging a woman out to sea. The event marks the second time…

After weeks of massive storms dumping on the central coast, Santa Cruz residents from the...

After weeks of massive storms dumping on the central coast, Santa Cruz residents from the...

Cooler weather mixed with recent storms has changed wildfire risk in parts of the state

There are common ingredients to produce an extreme fire — but more than one recipe.

A former KRON-TV anchor, Apon is a part of a new initiative to cover the how and why of...

Díaz will be the voice of The Chronicle’s daily forecasts as part of a new initiative...

The former academic researcher and data engineer will cover weather news in a broader...

Data shows the storm largely outdid the number of lightning strikes that touched down in...