Storm-Tossed Island to Open With Limits

You never know. Someone might actually want to visit east Santa Cruz Island on Christmas Eve, but it sure won’t be much of a pleasure cruise.

National Park Service officials will reopen some of the areas that were devastated by torrential rains Dec. 5, but they emphasize that much work is still to be done and visitors will be very limited in their excursions.

They will be restricted to Scorpion Beach and some of the flooded areas, but cannot get to any of the historic buildings or onto the valley floor beyond.

“Bring your own stuff because it’s going to be pretty sparse,” said Richard Littlefield, acting public information officer for the park service.

Work crews have been making preliminary repairs to the historic buildings as well as to day-use areas and campgrounds, but those areas are still heavily damaged. Littlefield said experts have been estimating the costs for the repairs, which could take several months.

He said the damage was so severe that it could be considered a geologic event, altering the basic structure of an entire area. Flooding and rockslides and downed trees are still in evidence, and the road between Scorpion Valley and Smugglers Cove was rendered impassable.

“It looks like a moonscape,” Littlefield said. He added that some buildings were moved off their foundations, and a large amount of equipment and other items were washed out to sea.

Restrooms are closed, but pit toilets are available, he said.