San Lorenzo Valley residents prepare for impacts from El Niño

The San Lorenzo River runs under the Felton Covered Bridge in Felton on Sept. 24. (Amaya Edwards – Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local) FELTON The San Lorenzo River flowed peacefully under Felton Covered Bridge on a recent Wednesday morning. This at-times calm river is situated in Felton Grove’s backyard, a neighborhood that has also many times seen the river transform amid heavy rain into a powerful, muddy torrent that floods the nearby streets. Melissa Foley, president of the Felton Grove Road Association, has already been working with her neighbors to make sure they are prepared for a potential super El Niño this winter. El Niño is a climate pattern that causes temperatures to rise in the Pacific Ocean. In Santa Cruz County and the Central Coast, an El Niño brings a higher likelihood of severe weather events like heavy rain, flooding and mudslides.  The mountain communities of Santa Cruz County face unique challenges — mudslides, power outages, river flooding, road closures, and mo