By Olivia Ma
Five months ago, a natural disaster struck the village of Capitola. The once vibrant area known for its community beach and colorful strip of hotel rooms had been flooded. Once popular businesses overflowing with customers were fenced or shut down. The once joyous beach filled with families and dogs became filled with stray logs and branches. The once busy wharf filled with fishers was cut in half, guarded by a large white fence and caution tape.
Left Coast Sausage Worx • Photo Credit: Olivia Ma
Despite this merciless destruction, the people of Capitola tell a different tale.
A tight-knit community of about 9,000 people, Capitola has quickly returned to normalcy, most notably by supporting local businesses and their iconic beach.
As a wave of storms and natural disasters has swept across not just the nation but also the world, Capitola’s story of recovery and resiliency illustrate a story of love and support during a great struggle.
Tucked away from across the beach, Left Coast Sausage Worx attracts a multitude of customers. Some buy hot dogs to go while others catch up with friends as they admire the ocean view. The well-known eatery lost power on Jan. 4 and was shuttered for 11 days. Afterward, it took almost another two weeks for the store to recover and open up, all thanks to the selfless locals.
Inside Ethos • Photo Credit: Olivia Ma
“It’s a lot of hard work,” said Josh Fisher, the owner of Left Coast Sausage Worx and longtime property owner of several local businesses, “It takes a village to rebuild and we need everybody’s help…we’re happy that everyone’s working together and the community’s coming together.”
Along with returning to help clean up the beach as the recovery process got underway, people also discovered ways to reuse storm debris and make the most of it. Several tent-like structures stand defiantly on the sand, almost as if proving their resilience against the harsh storm, while children run around playing with logs and seaweed.
Capitola Wine Bar owner Doug Conrad created the Sip and Stroll event, in which 30 businesses worked together to bring the community back to life by attracting old and new customers, an estimated crowd of 500 locals and visitors.
Alongside the community spirit of civilians, the federal government stepped in to help. Up to $2 million for each business in low-interest catastrophe loans were made available by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the California Small Business Development Center located at Capitola City Hall, to help deal with damage to real estate and equipment.
Despite record-breaking flood levels, property destruction, and a power outage that lasted for days, Capitola’s small businesses and civilians have bounced back nonetheless, assisting one another through the tough recovery process while still managing to make the best of it.
“The pier and everything was bad,” Josh said as he expertly prepared a customer’s hot dog with shredded cheese and relish, “but they’ll rebuild.”
•••
Olivia Ma has a passion for journalism. She is a KQED Youth Media contributor and a co-founder of the journalism club at Basis Independent Fremont Upper School. Her family has a house in Scotts Valley and frequents the beautiful beaches here.
•••
Top Photo: Visitors enjoy Capitola’s iconic beach with the colorful Venetian in the background. • Photo Credit: Olivia Ma