California community uses zip line to access homes following atmospheric river storms

CORRALITOS, Calif. – After the recent devastating atmospheric river storms in California, a zip line has become a lifeline for one community. 

The access bridge in Corralitos, located in Santa Cruz County, was washed away in storm waters. It could have left several families stranded. However, thanks to resident Darrell Hardy, that didn't happen.

Seven households use the bridge almost daily because it's the only road into the town for work and obtaining supplies.

The approximate dozen residents who live on Grizzly Flat Road, located on the north side of where the culvert was damaged, were powerless for more than three weeks. Redwood Road, another community on the south side, were also without power due the road washing out and downed power poles.

Hardy said fuel is important to residents on Grizzly Flat Road because they are all off-grid, using solar panels and generators.

"New Year's Eve, I pulled in, and the road was overwhelmed with water over the top," Hardy said. "I could see one of the retaining walls already starting to give way."

Since he couldn't get home, Hardy was forced to stay at a hotel. When he attempted to return home in the morning, the retaining wall was gone.

"It was clear that the failure of the bridge was imminent," he said.

RELENTLESS CALIFORNIA ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS DROP 32 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER OVER 3 WEEKS

Three-plus weeks of nearly non-stop rain in California unfolded a stubborn weather pattern that sent wave after wave of tropically-infused atmospheric rivers, triggering widespread flooding, landslides and power outages across the state. 

The first wave of rain rolled ashore on Dec. 26. After a break that lasted a couple of days, a bomb cyclone tapped into a Pineapple Express-type atmospheric river as 2022 came to an end to nearly set San Francisco's all-time daily rain record with more than 5 inches of rain.

Hardy, who never had zip lined before now, set up the line on New Year's Day. As he was gathering supplies he came across an assembly kit that was helpful in the construction of the nearly 70-foot zip line.

DRAMATIC IMAGES SHOW DEVASTATION FROM ONSLAUGHT OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS SLAMMING CALIFORNIA

Today, the water levels have dropped substantially, and residents can walk across the bridge’s debris. Hardy said the city of Watsonville, which owns the bridge, is still in conversation with the county who has jurisdiction over salmon habitats.

"They really haven't started to rebuild that yet," he said. "They're supposed to get us at least a walking bridge here in the next week or so."

Hardy said he was certain that the city and county are moving as quickly as possible towards resolving the issue. The county was also sending a biologist to the site on Thursday.

Overall, the FOX Forecast Center calculated an estimated average of 11 inches of rain fell across the entire state through the prolonged period. That translates to roughly 32 trillion gallons of water in the state that fell since Dec. 24.