The Santa Cruz County Response team provides emergency management services, including disaster preparedness for residents, development of written guidelines for emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation for disasters and operation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC serves as a centralized point for emergency operations coordination during a disaster.
Santa Cruz County, with its varying topography, mix of urban and rural areas, and a mix of permanent, student, and recreational population is subject to a wide variety of impacts from various hazards and threats. There are three broad categories of hazards, which include natural, technological and domestic security threats, all of which can occur with different levels of advance warning.
It is the purpose of this website to help citizens to connect with resources, develop a plan in advance and know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Santa Cruz County Location, Size and Population
Santa Cruz County is located on the central coast of California in the southern portion of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ Coastal Region. It extends from the Pacific Ocean on the west, to the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains on the east, the Pajaro River to the south and to the San Mateo County line in the north. It is adjacent to Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Benito, and Monterey Counties. Santa Cruz County covers an area of 441 square miles and has a population of approximately 273,213 inhabitants according to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau data.