1982 — Jan 3-5, Rainstorms, Land-mudslides, esp. San Francisco Bay Area, CA –31-36

lornajarrettblanchard January 3, 1982

— 37 UPI. “More rain is forecast as north state…” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 1-15-1982, p. 2.

–31-36 Blanchard fatality range based on sources below.[1]

— 36 NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 1 Jan 1982, p. 14.

— 36 UPI. “Volunteers keep searching for victims.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 1-13-1982, p. 2.

— 33 Ellen/Wieczorek (USGS). Landslides, Floods… Storm of January 3-5, 1982, 1988, 1.[2]

–22-33 History.com. This Day in History, January 5, 1982. “Landslides Kill 33 in CA.”

— 33 NRC Cmt. on Natural Disasters. Hurricanes Iwa, Alicia, and Diana. 1985, p. 6.

— 33 NWS Western Rgn. HQ. Report on the San Francisco Bay Area Storm, Jan 3-5-, 1982, p. iii.

–26-33 Smith and Hart. “Landslides…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 140.[3]

— 31 Blanchard tally of fatalities identified by county below.

— 31 Blodgett and Chin. Flood of January 1982 in the San Francisco Bay Area… USGS, p2.

— 31 Paulson, et al. “National Water Summary 1988-89 – Hydrologic Events and Floods…”

— 31 USGS. Summary of Significant Floods in the US, PR, and the VI, 1970-1989. 2008.

— 30 Highland and Schuster. Significant Landslide Events in the [U.S.]. USGS, 4-16-2003, 6

— 30 Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. 1982, p. 7.

–19-24 Landslide only. Smith and Hart. “Landslides…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 140.[4]

Marin County ( 5)

–5 Blanchard tally of fatalities by locality noted below.

–3 Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142.

–1 San Rafael, Hillside Ave., Jan 4. Debris avalanche landslide. Female in duplex. (p146)

–1 Sausalito, 85 Crescent Avenue, Jan 5. Debris avalanche/landslide. Female in home.[5]

–1 Tiburon, Jan 4. House slid off foundation. Male, 59.[6] Debris avalanche, 3491 Paradise Dr. house.[7]

— 2 San Anselmo, Corte Madera Creek area.[8]

–1 San Anselmo. Drowning; female, 39.[9]

San Mateo County ( 4)

–4 Blanchard tally of fatalities by locality noted below.

–3 Pacifica, 1249 Oddstad Blvd., Jan 4. Catastrophic debris flow buries home and children.[10]

–1 San Mateo. Woman hit by truck “as she crossed an intersection in pouring rain.”[11]

Santa Cruz County (22)

–22 Griggs. “Flooding…slope Failure…1982 Storm,” California Geology, July 1982, p. 158.[12]

–22 Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz Public Libraries. “Factsheet…1955 and 1982…Floods.”[13]

–22 Blanchard tally of fatalities identified by locality below.

–15 Smith and Hart. “Landslides…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 143.

Breakout of Santa Cruz County fatalities by locality:

— 1 Aptos. Man killed when a tree smashed through the roof of his home.[14]

— 1 Aptos, 4770 Porter Gulch Drive. Debris avalanche/landslide.[15] Female, 34.[16]

–10 Ben Lomond, Love Creek, Jan 5. Mudslide/Gigantic block glide.[17] Nine homes buried.[18]

–1 Yvonne Renne Blount, 32, at home.[19]

–1 Duncan Shaw Kidd, 27.[20]

–4 McCluskey family, buried in home.[21]

–1 Hazel McGraw [or McGrawa], 78.[22]

–1 Mark Nelson, 19, guest in McCluskey home.[23] [Mark Andrew Nelson, 21][24]

–1 Patricia Ann Nelson, 42, in home.[25]

–1 Lester Eugene Rumrill, 47, at home.[26]

— 3 Boulder Creek. Mudslides.[27]

–Joyce Smith, 33, mudslide.

–John Michael Fuller, 36, mudslide.

–Daniel Bryant Young, 25, mudslide.

— 2 Boulder Creek. Mudslide/Debris avalanche landslide.[28]

–1 324 Blue Ridge Drive.

–1 365 W. Lomond.

— 1 Felton, 405 Farmer Street. Mudslide/Debris avalanche.[29] Male, 79.[30]

— 1 Santa Cruz, 4873 Branciforte Drive. Mudslide.[31] Male 41. [32]

— 1 Santa Cruz near 1242 Happy Valley Road. Debris avalanche/landslide.[33] Female, 40.[34]

— 1 Scotts Valley, Carbonera Creek. Male, 21.[35]

— 1 Scotts Valley. Lompico Creek. Drowning; female, 25 “swept into Lompico Creek.”[36]

— 1 Scotts Valley, Jan 8. Male, 50, clean-up worker, when his bulldozer overturned.[37]

— 1 Soquel. Mudslide. Male, 53.[38]

— 1 Soquel. Mudslide/Debris avalanche-landslide.[39] Male, 71.[40]

Narrative Information

Ellen and Wieczorek: “A catastrophic rainstorm in central California on January 3-5,1982, dropped as much as half the mean annual precipitation within a period of about 32 hours, triggering landslides and floods throughout 10 counties in the vicinity of the San Francisco Bay. More than 18,000 of the slides induced by the storm transformed into debris flows that swept down hillslopes or drainages with little warning. Debris flows damaged at least 100 homes, killed 14 residents, and carried a 15th victim into a creek.

“Shortly after rainfall ceased, more than 459,000 m³ of earth and rock slid from a mountainside above the community of Love Creek in Santa Cruz County, burying 10 people in their homes. Throughout the bay region, thousands of people vacated homes in hazardous areas, entire communities were isolated as roads were blocked, public water systems were destroyed, and power and telephone services were disrupted. Altogether, the storm damaged 6,300 homes, 1,500 businesses, and tens of kilometers of roads, bridges, and communication lines. Preliminary rough estimates of total storm damage, compiled for emergency purposes within 2 weeks of the storm, exceeded $280 million. Carefully documented direct costs from landslides exceeded $66 million; total costs from landslides certainly were greater and probably constituted a much larger proportion of the total storm damage than suggested by these disparate figures. Landslides accounted for 25 of the 33 deaths attributed to the storm.” (Ellen and Wieczorek 1988, p.1)

“The most abundant destructive landslides were debris flows which elsewhere have been called debris avalanches, mudflows, or mudslides. Before the storm, debris flows had been recognized locally in the San Francisco Bay region …but their potential for widespread and devastating impact was not fully appreciated, partly because they had occurred only locally in the years since population spread into susceptible steep terrain. Evaluations of landslide hazard in the bay region had largely overlooked these relatively small, shallow landslides and focused, instead, on the larger, deeper, generally slower moving landslides that have produced distinctive features and perennial damage over much of the region…Thus, the scientific and planning communities, as well as the general population, were not prepared for the sudden and devastating impact of debris flows during the storm. (Ellen and Wieczorek 1988, p.1)

Oddstad Boulevard, Pacifica, January 4, approximately 1:10 p.m. (Pacific time): 3 children killed when a landslide destroys their home. (Ellen and Wieczorek 1988, p.145)

Canham Road and Carbonera Creek, Scotts Valley: two boys picked up in mud flow, one thrown clear, the other drowns in Carbonera Creek where he was carried.

Love Creek, near Ben Lomond: “Largest and most disastrous landslide in the storm. Catastrophic failure of the…slope occurred at approximately 1 a.m. ….January 5, 1982, and was extremely rapid. Landslide buried 9 homes and killed 10 people.”

(Ellen and Wieczorek 1988, p.146)

History.com: “On this day in 1982, a series of landslides near San Francisco, California, kills up to 33 people and closes the Golden Gate Bridge. In all, an amazing 18,000 different landslides took place in the San Francisco Bay Area following a very heavy rain storm.

“Two fast-moving fronts carrying extremely heavy rain passed through San Francisco in a 36-hour period beginning on January 4, during which the area received an amount of rain equal to half its average annual precipitation. Some areas received as much as 24 inches of rain on January 4 and 5. On January 5, the rain began to trigger thousands of separate landslides in the Bay Area hills.

“Almost without exception, the slides caught their victims completely unaware. San Francisco State University professor Kai-yu Hsu was in the basement of his home in Tiburon. Suddenly, there was a deafening roar and, within seconds, the home was gone–it crashed into a park at the bottom of a hill. His son, Roland, witnessed the tragedy while standing just outside the home.

“In all, about 7,800 homes and businesses were seriously damaged by slides and falling trees. Roads became impassable when mud and large boulders crashed down onto them. The Golden Gate Bridge even had to close due to a landslide. When seven homes in Love Creek collapsed on a hillside, 10 people died instantly. It is believed that between 22 and 33 people were killed in total. Damages exceeded $100 million, and the region was declared a federal disaster area. It was the Bay Area’s worst natural disaster since a 1906 earthquake.

“Using aerial surveillance in the days following the storm, officials determined that about 18,000 separate slides occurred. In most areas, homes have since been rebuilt on the original lots, using sub-surface pipes and retaining walls to help prevent a repeat disaster.” (History.com. This Day in History, January 5, 1982. “Landslides Kill 33 in California.”)

Ludlum: “1982 [Jan 5] In California, disaster struck San Francisco Bay and Santa Cruz areas; stalled storm from dumped 10.55 in (268 mm) at Kentfield, Marin Co., and 5.45 in (138 mm) at S.F. Airport; many damaging mudslides; 30 killed; damage over $300 million.” (Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. 1982, p. 7.)

NCDC: “California, Northern. SFO Bay area, Marin County,, Santa Cruz County, Sierra Nevada. [Jan] 3 18:00 PST – [Jan] 4 20:00 PST. 36 [killed], 1078 [injured]…Winter Storm, Mesoscale flood situation. Gusty winds along the coast…4 to 8 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada…stranded people for up to 5 days. 28 to 30 hours of continuous…heavy rain. Between 3½ to 24 inches of rain fell over the Bay Area and Santa Cruz county.” (National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 1, January 1982, p. 14.)

NRC: “San Francisco Bay Region Debris Flows, Landslides, and Floods. In early January 1982 as much as 25 inches of rain fell in the coastal mountains of the San Francisco Bay region in a period of 32 hours. This storm triggered hundreds of debris flows and landslides and produced floods in many areas. Damage to homes, businesses, highways, bridges, and communication facilities exceeded a quarter billion dollars. Thirty-three people lost their lives.

“Social scientist Thomas F. Saarinen….were invited to represent the Committee on Natural Disasters in organizing the conference and preparing an overview report….

“Among the conclusions of these contributors are the following: the communities of the region were not prepared for the storm; there was no local flood warning system, although such a system was feasible and in use in other parts of the country; local governments have permitted development in areas where there exist abundant data describing geologic and hydrologic hazards; and although there is considerable information on slope stability hazards in the area, little information on the specific hazard of debris flows was available prior to the storm….” (National Research Council Committee on Natural Disasters. Hurricanes Iwa, Alicia, and Diana. 1985, p. 6.)

NWS Western Rgn. HQ: “On January 3-5, 1982, a major storm moved through central California producing widespread damage and death in seven San Francisco Bay Area counties as well as eleven other counties in northern and central California. A Presidential Declaration was issued to bring federal assistance to individuals in the affected counties. It is customary, following significant storm events, for the National Weather Service to evaluate the effectiveness of its forecast warning service…. [Foreword, p. ii.]

“The most severe damages occurred in the hills and coastal ranges around the San Francisco Bay Area where flooding, mudslides, and debris flows destroyed many homes and businesses. Joint federal and state damage estimates indicated that 6,300 residences were damaged, of which 231 were destroyed. There were 1,500 businesses damaged with 65 of these destroyed. Dollar estimates of damage were 109 million to public facilities and 172.4 million to private property. There were 33 deaths, most of which were attributed to mudslides…. [Executive Summary, p. iii.]

(National Weather Service, Western Region Headquarters. Report on the San Francisco Bay Area Storm, January 3-5-, 1982. Salt Lake City, UT: NWS, Summer 1982, p. ii.)

Paulson: “Flood Jan. 1982 San Francisco Bay area….Severe, mudslides in mountains north of Santa Cruz. Deaths, 31; damage $75 million.” (Paulson, et al. “National Water Summary 1988-89 – Hydrologic Events and Floods…” 1991.

Santa Cruz Public Libraries: “The flood began in Santa Cruz County, California, on January 4, 1982. Coverage of the flood can be found in the Santa Cruz Sentinel for the week of January 4, 1982. Also, the San Francisco Chronicle, January 13, 1982, lists the damages from the Santa Cruz County flood: 22 dead, 50 injured, 400 people displaced, 135 homes destroyed, 300 homes damaged, $50 million in private damages, and $56.5 million in public damages. In contrast to 1955, 90 percent of the 1982 storm damage in Santa Cruz County was outside of the city limits, but this storm is remembered for the collapse of the Soquel Avenue Bridge.” (Santa Cruz Public Libraries. “Factsheet for the 1955 and 1982 Santa Cruz City Floods.”)

USGS: “The San Francisco Bay area of California experienced the first significant flooding of 1982 when an intense storm system came onshore during January 3 through 5…The storm caused continuous, moderate rainfall for about 34 hours over the San Francisco Bay area. Landslides began around 9:00 a.m. on January 4 and quickly transformed to debris flows. In addition to the landslides and debris flows, flooding was considerable throughout the area. Many small streams had maximums of record, but the record lengths for streams in the area are relatively short. There were 31 deaths, and total damage from the storm was $75 million (Paulson and others, 1991).” (USGS. Summary of Significant Floods in the US, PR, and the VI, 1970-1989. 2008.)

Newspapers

Jan 5: “Rescuers today found the bodies of six people buried in mudslides near San Francisco, an authorities said seven other people were missing and presumed dead in one of the worst Pacific storms of the century. Five other people were reported killed Monday and damage from the mudslides and floods in Marin County alone was estimated at $30 million. The storm forced thousands of people from their homes, derailed trains and forced the closing of schools and highways. One person died when a house slid off its foundation in Tiburon. More than 12 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in Marin County.

“In Pacifica, south of San Francisco, three children were reported trapped in a home on Oddstad Boulevard by a huge mudslide late Monday. Rescue efforts were continuing early today…

“Rescuers also were searching early today for possible victims in a San Rafael slide that pushed a Hillside Avenue home from its foundation….” (Associated Press. “Pacific storm leaves 13 dead.” The Register, Orange County, CA. 1-5-1982, p. 1.)

Jan 6: “San Francisco (AP) — Massive, deadly mudslides stunned Marin County today, forcing hundreds from their homes just as Northern Californians started to recover from a record storm that killed at least 21.

“The Golden Gate Bridge, reopened earlier in the day, was closed indefinitely when a wall of mud swept above and below Highway 101 north of the bridge. Two houses slid down the hill, killing one person. Hundreds were evacuated from a half-mile-long swath below the hill, and Highway 101, the main Pacific Coast highway, was closed throughout Marin County.

“The new disaster came hours after a record two-day deluge subsided and Californians tried to pick up the pieces of their lives and take account of the damage — which was estimated to approach $100 million. Gov. Edmund Brown Jr. declared a disaster area Tuesday [Jan 5] in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Sonoma, Marin and Contra Costa counties, making them eligible for some state aid and preparing the way for a appeal for federal financial aid….

“Officials said they feared the death toll would grow far worse. Eight to 15 were feared dead in Santa Cruz County’s remote Ben Lomond, where a soggy hillside buried at least eight homes. Destroyed roads made it impossible to bring in rescue equipment.

“San Francisco Bay area skies, darkened since Sunday by a merciless Pacific storm, cleared Tuesday and floodwaters receded, revealing devastation and debris over an area stretching from 200 miles north of San Francisco to 100 miles south.

“The sun shone as rescue teams searched with dogs, bulldozers and a 30-foot crane in Pacifica for three children, identified as Billy Velez, 7, and his sisters Michelle, 14, and Melissa, 2, buried alive under tons of mud that destroyed their Pacifica home. Michelle and Melissa were found late Tuesday night.

“Officials confirmed the storm-related deaths of 17 others in Sonoma, Marin, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, all of which declared local emergencies….

“At least 80 Marin County homes, many valued at more than $200,000, were leveled by floods and mudslides and another 150 suffered heavy damage, officials said. In Sonoma County, at least 1,000 homes were flooded to some extent, many with up to five feet of standing water. Petaluma firefighters were forced to take to boats Monday to battle a blaze that severely damaged a home surrounded by floodwaters up to 10 feet high. More than 4,000 homeless sought refuge at the height of the storm in 45 Red Cross evacuation centers from Siskiyou County 240 miles north of San Francisco to Watsonville, 85 miles south….

“Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported more than 320,000 customers without power at times during the deluge, and spokeswoman Jan Miller said there was no power overnight to 72,000 homes in Santa Cruz County, 5,000 to 6,000 in Marin County, 1,000 to 2,000 in Lake and Mendocino counties and 1,100 in Contra Costa County….” (Associated Press. “Record storm leaves 21 dead in Bay Area.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA 1-6-1982, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Bay Area storm clean-up continues.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA. 1-9-1982, p. 1. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jan-09-1982-p-1/?tag

Associated Press. “Officials identify missing, presumed dead from mudslides.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-13-1982, p. 2. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jan-13-1982-p-2/?tag

Associated Press. “Pacific storm leaves 13 dead.” The Register, Orange County, CA. 1-5-1982, p. 1. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-jan-05-1982-p-1/?tag

Associated Press. “Record storm leaves 21 dead in Bay Area.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA 1-6-1982, p. 1. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jan-06-1982-p-1/?tag

Associated Press. “Three more slide deaths confirmed.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-10-1982, p. 1. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jan-10-1982-p-1/?tag

Blodgett, J. C. (USGS) and Edwin H. Chin (NWS). Flood of January 1982 in the San Francisco Bay Area. California (U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4236). Sacramento, CA: USGS, 1989, 51 pages. Accessed 5-20-2017 at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1988/4236/report.pdf

Committee on Natural Disasters, National Research Council. Hurricanes Iwa, Alicia, and Diana – Common Themes: A Report of the Committee on Natural Disasters, 1984. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1985, 30 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=6EMrAAAAYAAJ&dq=hurricane+alicia&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Cotton, William R. and David A. Cochrane. “Love Creek Landslide Disaster January 5, 1982, Santa Cruz County.” California Geology, July 1982, pp. 153-157. Accessed 5-20-2017 at: ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dmg/pubs/cg/1982/35_07.pdf

Ellen, Stephen D., Gerald F. Wieczorek, William M. Brown III, and Darrell G. Herd. Landslides, Floods, and Marine Effects of the Storm of January 3-5, 1982, in the San Francisco Bay Region, California (USGS Professional Paper 1434). U.S. Geological Survey, Landslide Hazards Program, 1988, 319 pages. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1988/1434/

Griggs, Gary B. “Flooding and slope Failure During the January 1982 Storm, Santa Cruz County, California.” California Geology, July 1982, pp. 158-163. Accessed 5-20-2017 at: ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dmg/pubs/cg/1982/35_07.pdf

Highland, Lynn M. and Robert L. Schuster. Significant Landslide Events in the United States. USGS, 4-16-2003. Accessed at: http://landslides.usgs.gov/docs/faq/significantls_508.pdf [now a dead link] Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://digitallibrary.utah.gov/awweb/main.jsp?flag=collection&smd=1&cl=all_lib&lb_document_id=63561&tm=1495210203282&itype=advs&menu=on

History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, January 5, 1982. “Landslides Kill 33 in California.” Accessed 12-6-2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=01/05&categoryId=disaster

Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 1, January 1982. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, 33 pages. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/sd/sd.html?_finish=0.7722865910778465

National Weather Service, Western Region Headquarters. Report on the San Francisco Bay Area Storm, January 3-5-, 1982. Salt Lake City, UT: NWS Western Region HQ, Summer 1982, 48 pages. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/San%20Francisco%20Bay%20Area%20Storm%20January%201982.pdf

Paulson, R.W., E.B. Chase, R.S. Roberts, and D.W. Moody (Compilers). “National Water Summary 1988-89 – Hydrologic Events and Floods and Droughts. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2375; excerpted in Major Floods and Droughts in California (website). 1991. 10-9-2009 at: http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/hydrology/state_fd/cawater1.html

Perry, Charles A. (USGS). Summary of Significant Floods in the United States and Puerto Rico, 1994 Through 1998 Water Years (Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5194). Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2005. Prepared in USGS, Lawrence, KS. Accessed 2-26-2016 at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5194/pdf/sir2005-5194.pdf

Santa Cruz Public Libraries. “Factsheet for the 1955 and 1982 Santa Cruz City Floods.” Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://www.santacruzpl.org/history/articles/288/

Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead, many more homeless.” 1-6-2012. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/ZZ/20120106/NEWS/120108207

Smith, Theodore C. and Earl W. Hart (CA Div. of Mines and Geology). “Landslides and Related Storm Damage January 1982, San Francisco Bay Region.” California Geology, July 1982, pp. 139-152. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dmg/pubs/cg/1982/35_07.pdf

The Register, Orange County, CA. “Storm” (from A1), 1-6-1982, A6. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-jan-06-1982-p-6/?tag

United Press International. “More rain is forecast as north state continues to dig out after killer rainstorm.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 1-15-1982, p. 2. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-jan-15-1982-p-2/?tag

United Press International (Pam MacLean). “Mountain towns devastated by slides.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 1-7-1982, p. 2. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-jan-07-1982-p-16/?tag

United Press International. “Mudslide grave for many storm victims.” 1-15-1982. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/01/15/Mudslide-grave-for-many-storm-victims/2896379918800/

United Press International (William D. Murray). “Storm turns south, leaving a trail of death and destruction.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 1-5-1982, p. 1. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-jan-05-1982-p-1/?tag

United Press International (Susan Goldfarb). “Threat of more mudslides halts search for victims.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 3-11-1982, p. 2. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-jan-11-1982-p-14/?tag

United Press International. “Volunteers keep searching for victims.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 1-13-1982, p. 2. Accessed 5-19-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-jan-13-1982-p-2/?tag

[1] We have been able to identify by location 31 fatalities. The USGS, National Research Council, NWS, and Smith and Hart in California Geology, note 33 deaths (all reputable sources). In addition we have the NOAA National Climatic Data Center and United Press International reporting 36 deaths. We note in our localized breakouts one recovery accidental death by crushing, a pedestrian killed by a vehicle in driving rainstorm, and one tree fall through a roof resulting in death. We believe it conceivable these may be or may be the type of deaths not included in the tally of 33, thus making something like 36 plausible.

[2] “Landslides accounted for 25 of the 33 deaths attributed to the storm.”

[3] Twenty-six deaths and seven missing persons.

[4] Nineteen confirmed deaths and five missing and presumed dead.

[5] See, also, NWS Western Rgn. HQ. Report on the San Francisco Bay Area Storm, Jan 3-5-, 1982, p. 2.

[6] The Register, Orange County, CA. “Storm” (from A1), 1-6-1982, A6. Identifies the victim as Kai-yu Hsu, professor of Chinese language and literature at San Francisco State University. See, also: Associated Press. “Pacific storm…” The Register, Orange County, CA, 1-5-1982, p. 1.

[7] Smith and Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 146.

[8] NWS Western Rgn. HQ. Report on the San Francisco Bay Area Storm, Jan 3-5-, 1982, pp. 29-30.

[9] UPI. “Storm turns south, leaving a trail of death and destruction.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 1-5-1982, p. 1.

[10] Smith and Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, pp. 142 and 149. The p. 149 section is by Joel E. Baldwin, Howard Donley and Associates, and Roberta J. Rodrigues, GeoResources, Inc. See, also: AP. “Record storm leaves 21 dead in Bay Area.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA 1-6-1982, p. 1. Victims identified as Michelle, 14, Melissa, 2, and Billy, 9, Velez.

[11] UPI. “Storm turns south, leaving a trail of death and destruction.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 1-5-1982, p. 1.

[12] “In terms of loss of human life and damage to property, Santa Cruz County was one of the most severely affected areas. Landsliding, mudflows, and flooding caused twenty-two deaths and totally destroyed about 100 homes.”

[13] Also: Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[14] UPI. “Storm turns south, leaving a trail of death and destruction.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 1-5-1982, p. 1. We highlight in yellow to denote that we do not include in our tally in that the Donna Jones Santa Cruz Sentinel article in 2012 notes only one Aptos fatality — Carole Seagrave, 34, noting “tree through house.”

[15] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142.

[16] We assume the Porter Gulch Drive fatality was a female given Donna Jones 2012 Santa Cruz Sentinel article, noting that one of the first three deaths in Santa Cruz County, was a female in Aptos.

[17] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142; UPI . “Mountain towns devastated…” Ukiah Daily Journal, 1-7-1982, p. 2; Santa Cruz Sentinel. “Devastating disaster…” 1-6-2012. Cotton and Cochrane report that “Rainfall data in this region was reported to be nearly 20 inches for the 30-hour storm period.” (California Geology, July 1982, p. 153.)

[18] Cotton. and Cochrane. “Love Creek Landslide Disaster January 5, 1982…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 154. They write that “Most of those who perished were apparently caught in bed, attesting to the rate of the landslide’s descent into the canyon. Four others who were in the immediate path of the landslide barely survived the disaster, having to be rescued from the mass of landslide rubble and splintered remains of their homes. During the next few weeks search parties recovered six bodies, leaving four persons still missing and presumed buried in the tow of the landslide. Strictly on the basis of the number of lives taken by the event, the Love Creek landslide is the most destructive, naturally-induced landslide disaster in the history of California.”

[19] Associated Press. “Three more slide deaths confirmed.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-10-1982, p. 1.

[20] Santa Cruz Sentinel/Donna Jones. “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[21] United Press International. “Mudslide grave for many storm victims.” 1-15-1982. Notes that Ben Lomond Volunteer Fire Dept. found bodies of John and Linda McCluskey, both 32, and believed the bodies of their two sons, Kelly, 5, and Trevor, 7, were still to be found, when search operations could be resumed. [BWB: Were never found.]

[22] AP. “Officials identify missing, presumed dead from mudslides.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-13-1982, p. 2.

[23] AP. “Officials identify missing, presumed dead from mudslides.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-13-1982, p. 2.

[24] Santa Cruz Sentinel/Donna Jones. “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[25] Associated Press. “Three more slide deaths confirmed.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-10-1982, p. 1.

[26] Associated Press. “Three more slide deaths confirmed.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-10-1982, p. 1.

[27] Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[28] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142.

[29] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142; The Register, Orange County, CA. “Storm” (from A1), 1-6-1982, A6.

[30] Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[31] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142; The Register, Orange County, CA. “Storm” (from A1), 1-6-1982, A6.

[32] Ukiah Daily Journal, CA 1-13-1982, p. 24; AP. “Officials identify missing, presumed dead from mudslides.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 1-13-1982, p. 2. Notes he was buried in mobile home. Victim identified as Raymond Stanley. (Santa Cruz Sentinel/Donna Jones. “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.)

[33] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142.

[34] We assume the Happy Valley Road fatality was a female given Donna Jones 2012 Santa Cruz Sentinel article, noting that one of the first three deaths in the county, was a female in Santa Cruz, identified as Betsy Morgan.

[35] AP. “Bay Area storm clean-up…” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA. 1-9-1982, p. 1. Victim identified as Martin Keith Hallberg. (Santa Cruz Sentinel/Donna Jones. “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.)

[36] Santa Cruz Sentinel/Donna Jones. “Devastating disaster…” 1-6-2012. Identified victim as Kathleen Ann Cardoza.

[37] UPI (Goldfarb), “Threat of more mudslides halts search for victims.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 3-11-1982, p. 2. Writes: “Another storm-related death occurred Friday [Jan 8] in nearby Scott’s Valley when Darrol Anderson, 50, a volunteer clean-up worker, was crushed to death when his bulldozer overturned as he was clearing a logjam.”

[38] Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.

[39] Smith/Hart. “Landslides…Related Storm Damage…” California Geology, July 1982, p. 142; The Register, Orange County, CA. “Storm” (from A1), 1-6-1982, A6.

[40] Santa Cruz Sentinel (Donna Jones). “Devastating disaster: Storm of 1982 left 22 dead…” 1-6-2012.