City of Saratoga allocates $800K towards recent storm damage, fallen trees

SARATOGA, Calif. - The City of Saratoga has allocated $800,000 for storm damages they’ve racked up since the beginning of the year. Saratoga declared a state of emergency last week, and due to the danger of more falling trees, city officials have closed one of its most popular parks.  

Tuesday’s storm caused more trees to fall, and now the city has decided to close Wildwood Park on Fourth Street. They’re asking people to stay away until further notice.  

READ MORE: South Bay and Peninsula take softer hit during Tuesday's storm

"There was a huge chunk of the Eucalyptus tree that fell. I took a picture of it and sent it to my family. They were all surprised because it was such a huge thing," said Samuel Kim, of Saratoga.    

In a city known for its beautiful trees, Saratoga has been hit hard by downed trees during the recent storms. 

"We love the park. We come here very often. So, because of the weather, because of trees falling down, we feel it’s very unsafe to come back. So, I think we need good management about the trees," said Saratoga resident Hanna Shao.   

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The city says declaring a state of emergency makes it easier to request resources and financial assistance and to get reimbursement through FEMA. Saratoga had already estimated $350,000 in storm damages from December and January but this week, the city allocated an additional $450,000 to cover damages from the most recent storms.  

"Well, I think for all those trees, maybe we need to cut down some of them. I know it’s a big loss but since it's threatening people’s lives, I think we should reconsider that," Shao said.  

Just last week, fallen trees killed five people across the Bay Area during a series of atmospheric river storms.

"It’s kind of sad to see all this rain and people dying. That’s very unfortunate. I feel really sorry for the families," said another patron of Wildwood Park.   

A spokesperson for Saratoga says it’s too early to tell how much it’ll cost to repair damages here at Wildwood Park, but they believe the final estimate for the entire city will likely be near $1 million.