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A multi-day period of severe weather experienced in the area starting on Dec. 23 and continuing into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day resulted in property damages throughout the county.
According to the National Weather Service, there were gusts of wind up to 46 miles per hour on the first day along with periods of heavy rain throughout the storms.
Among the damage caused by the storms, a home on the corner of Nash Road and Sally Street in Hollister had a tree fall on it, though it is unclear what type of damage was caused on the property.
Workers cut what was left of the standing tree on the evening of Dec. 24. As of Dec. 26, the remainder of the tree was still laying against the roof of the home and chopped trunk pieces lay next to the sidewalk.
Interim City Manager Jim Pia said the city responded to “probably a couple dozen” reports of trees and power lines down in the city’s roadways.
“No reports of injury,” Pia said. “That’s the good thing.”
San Juan Bautista resident Javier Correa, well-known for his What’s Happening in Hollister scanner edition Facebook page, told BenitoLink both his trailer and his neighbor’s trailer had their awnings break, and water started to leak into various parts of his home.
“The main leak is above my bedroom,” he said. “It also leaks in the living room, (and) the kitchen area but the worst is the bedroom.”
Because his ceiling is starting to collapse as a result of the water damage, he says it’s either unfixable or will cost him several thousand dollars to repair.
“If I have to spend that much money I’d rather get another trailer,” he said, adding it might cost him as much as $6,000 to purchase one from his cousin.
Correa said he is fundraising to be able to purchase the trailer because he is unemployed and depends on delivering food through Door Dash to pay his bills.
“I’ll take any help I can get right now,” he said.
Correa, who has lived in his trailer for six years and is known in the community for his police scanner Facebook page, said the high winds shook his trailer constantly and likened it to experiencing an earthquake lasting six hours.
During the storm, Correa kept a close watch on community happenings and posted many reports ranging from wires down to vehicle accidents.
Correa can be contacted at 831-265-1557.
On the social media platform Nextdoor, several community members reported that multiple fences were damaged by the high winds, as well as losing Christmas-related decorations.
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