santa cruz west cliff collapse

Gulmon is accused of driving under the influence when he crashed through a fence on East Cliff Drive and into the Pacific Ocean. Were going to continue to have these big storms, and probably more frequently in the future.. California is off to a slow fire season so far, but Gov. New concrete walls may be most effective at stabilizing the road and blufftop, he explained, but he added that they can come at a high cost and may not last. Weve been coming here for 30 years and Ive never seen anything like this, said Cracknell. That will be in place for at least a few months.. His recent work has examined the impacts of drought, threats to public lands and wildlife, and the nations widening rural-urban divide. The coastline has been widely armed with stacks of rocks, known as riprap, or concrete retaining walls. Santa Cruz's West Cliff Drive erosion is a problem, Coastal Commission The pedestrian path and part of the road in front of her house collapsed into the ocean. Three sections within this portion of West Cliff Drive were already tagged by city officials for major repairs. Nathan Nguyen, the citys public works director, said his offices team will be monitoring the cliff. He covered the New York City music scene for The Village Voice before returning west to report for the Point Reyes Light. Spangrud is currently designing the repair plan and hopes that construction will begin in January or February and be completed a few months afterward. Perhaps unsurprisingly, several coastal towns are defiant about natures inexorable push and instead hope to hold the line by better engineering the natural coastline to withstand more pressure from the Pacific, replenishing sand on the thinning beaches and further armoring cliffs against collapse. A chunk of rock hanging over the iconic Steamer Lane surf spot broke off and fell into the ocean just before 11 a.m. on Friday as the West Cliff Drive area continues to erode. The section currently closed has provided a glimpse of what a car-free road looks like, and many like what they see. A woman was killed in Santa Cruz county when a cliff collapsed beneath her feet in 2017. The storms, she said, got ahead of the planning, which she attributes to the accelerating impacts of climate change. The city of Santa Cruz advises people should avoid the area and barricades were installed to seal off the damaged road. Nearly three-quarters of Californias coastlines are actively eroding, putting lives, homes, roadways, railways, utilities and other infrastructure in danger. Before joining the Chronicle, Alexander worked as a freelance writer and as a staff reporter for several media organizations, including The Fresno Bee and Bay Area News Group, writing about government, politics and the environment. Beaches that wash out to sea during a storm often reconstitute when the sand washes back in. Workers stabilize bluffs on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz on Jan 23. Surfers at Steamer Lane, who have a stake in the movement of sand as well as the fate of West Cliff Drive, have had several days of good waves lately because the breaks have been fortified with sand from the storms. The citys temporary traffic control plan for West Cliff Drive traffic includes only allowing one-way westbound vehicular traffic between Columbia Street and Woodrow Avenue. Photo | Cliff mural takes shape in Santa Cruz "Ode to Santa Cruz" is the first large mural . Heres the weather forecast by region, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). A soldier with the National Guard hoists up some caution tape to allow pedestrians to pass near Woodrow Avenue on Jan. 6, 2023. We are going to have to expect more of this happening moving forward. West Cliff Drive has seen several significant erosion events over the past few months. The sidewalks met their ends on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz last week. Santa Cruz officials are working to pick up the pieces after part of West Cliff Drive collapsed into the ocean, Friday. Leading up to the 8:30 a.m. high tide, heavy winds and waves crashed into West Cliff Drive, causing city officials to close the road from Pelton to Almar avenues, due to downed trees, high surf. Signs warning of altered surf conditions have been posted in the area. Dave Cracknell of Cupertino, who visits Santa Cruz often, was astonished at the extent of the collapsed sidewalk and roadway on West Cliff Drive between Columbia Street and Woodrow Avenue. The gap in the city planning has opened the door to no shortage of opinions about what to do with West Cliff Drive. Just over one month ago, a portion of the same area broke off and fell into the ocean. June 24, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. Santa Cruz artist Liam Cliff paints a large mural on the Walnut Avenue wall of Berdels store in downtown Santa Cruz. He had that deer-in-the-headlights kind of look after.. Because the citys 247-page adaptation plan hasnt yet been approved by the California Coastal Commission, which regulates shoreline activity, and because the city is still drafting its follow-up plans for implementing specific adaptation strategies, there remains no clear path forward. SANTA CRUZ >> For decades, the city of Santa Cruz has ignored the California Coastal Commission's demands for a plan to manage West Cliff Drive's erosion, and now, the city may face fines. Sections of land are seen missing from coastal properties in Pacifica, California, amid erosion in 2016. Its a playground everyone loves. Three women were killed last week while sunning on a beach in Encinitas, California, when the bluff above them gave way. This is a carousel. We do have one complaint though. Storm damages West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Storm 2023 in photos: A look around the county as the ocean Storm damages West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz - YouTube A large section of bluff just beyond Szecseis driveway had fallen into the sea. Winter storms destroyed Santa Cruz's promenade. The bluffs along West Cliff Drive, over the past century, have eroded a few inches on average each year, largely the product of waves slowly scouring the coastline but increasingly because of rising seas and more violent storms. We expect the higher the sea level, the more the ocean is pounding the base of the cliff, the more frequently we can expect to have failures like the one in Encinitas, said Barnard. Scenic West Cliff Drive buckles; Biden to visit storm-damaged Santa As for the future of West Cliff Drives continuing battle with the ocean, Spangrud said that as long as there is the will and resources to keep reinforcing the bluffs with riprap and seawalls, the well-traveled coastal road will remain in place. He lives with his girlfriend above a wine shop in Cole Valley. Santa Cruz aims for new approaches to West Cliff Drive erosion The erosion of West Cliff Drive and its infrastructure comes in spite of decades of efforts to engineer more stable bluffs. He explained that the riprap, which are the large rocks used to armor the bluffs from the ocean waves, need to weigh at least 8 to 10 tons, around the weight of a semi-truck, or a small tank, in order to effectively stay in place for an extended period of time. Still, there was no ignoring the problem here on the west side of Santa Cruz. One of several warning signs is posted next to the debris left from a sea cliff collapse that killed three people in Encinitas last week. The nearby Natural Bridges State Beach and its monarch butterfly preserve are also closed through at least Jan. 10. SPC Magowan and SPC Ortiz from the 579th Engineering Batallion based out of Santa Rosa are stationed in front of the sinkhole located on West Cliff Drive. Drunk driving suspected in truck's ocean plunge off Santa Cruz cliff SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The recent storms caused major damage along the Santa Cruz coastline to one of the most scenic locations there -. Without reinforcement, the strong swell took a bite out of the sidewalk about 20 feet across and 4 feet deep, according to Spangrud. You just have to change with it if you want to stay here and keep surfing., Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. An eclipser was . Wave force causes cliff collapse on Steamer Lane - Santa Cruz Sentinel Several homes in Sonoma, north of San Francisco, have been torn down or have fallen with the cliffs that had once supported them. UCSCs Gary Griggs uses this slide to illustrate the different geological formations that make up West Cliff Drive. But cliff erosion continues to imperil people and property around the state. ago I just went by it a few minutes ago. The city asks the public to observe all signage and barricades especially as the temporary traffic control plan is subject to change and sections of roadway may be closed periodically. Will West Cliff sidewalk collapse, continued erosion - Reddit It going to happen. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. Santa Cruz officials are working to pick up the pieces after part of West Cliff Drive collapsed into the ocean, Friday. They dont want to see further slippage before a more holistic approach to the problem can be established. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Max Chun is a locally grown reporter with an eye for community activism, human interest stories, and anything Santa Cruz. Is it worth fixing? Locals say this kind of erosion happens all the time and officials say it could happen more often with climate change and rising sea levels. One of the strategies offered in the citys adaptation plans is to release large amounts of sand upcoast of the collapsed headlands with the hope that it collects beneath the fallen bluffs to create a buffer for future erosion. As time moves forward, we have less and less options, Sara Aminzadeh, a commissioner with the California coastal commission, told representatives of several cities at a July meeting. Now city officials have a new section the historic culvert at Bethany Curve to add to their growing project list. Limiting traffic is one of the long-term options presented in the citys 2021 adaptation and management plan for West Cliff Drive. June 25, 2023 Updated: June 25, 2023 4:55 p.m. 2. Bay Area temps will go up, and snakes likely will be coming out Severe damage from the recent California storm has transformed the scenic promenade into a spectacle of ruin for hundreds . Tap/click for details. A witness of the crash was able to pull Gulmon from the vehicle before first responders arrived. The stakes are rising along with the ocean. Waves splashed water 20 feet high, over West Cliff Drive and into the driveways of homes. SANTA CRUZ Days after last months storms blasted the Santa Cruz coast, Debra Szecsei was savoring the now-sunny surroundings at her home on the citys West Cliff Drive. City engineers work to manage collapse on West Cliff Drive Large chunk of sidewalk caved in off the popular West Cliff Drive in After the incident occurred, city workers moved quickly to put up temporary barricades around the collapsed area to keep residents and visitors safe while a full re-armoring of the cliffside is planned. landmark. He lives just a few blocks from West Cliff Drive, where crowds of people flocked to observe the relentless swell against the advice of law enforcement. ago City engineers work to manage collapse on West Cliff Drive - MSN It's definitely time to discuss options. Sidewalk in Popular Santa Cruz Street Collapses, Poses Safety Issue City spokesperson Erika Smart said the team was not able to determine a specific reason why the section collapsed, and that it can likely be attributed to natural coastal erosion. Four guards were stationed in the area, at the time shielded unsuccessfully with lines of wavering yellow and red tape, to usher people away from the edge of erosion. Pedestrians and bicyclists observe the storm damange near Woodrow Avenue in Santa Cruz on Jan. 6, 2023. Gulmom suffered major injuries and is still in the hospital being treated -Video from previous broadcast. In the hardest-hit area of West Cliff Drive, near Szecseis home above Mitchells Cove, the citys plans, depending on what level of decay is found, call for defending whats left of the bluffs by adding sand to the beach to serve as a buffer, fortifying the cliffs with rocks and walls, or simply allowing the promontory to tumble and with it, eventually the road, paths and perhaps one day houses. Chunk of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz slides away - MSN He frequently writes about water, wildfire, climate and the American West. While he said hes seen bigger waves hit Santa Cruz before, there was something else he hadnt observed along the coastline that impressed him: the combination of the height of the waves and their frequency. Both the surfers and Griggs warn the public to stay away from cliff edges and watch out for overhanging rock while tide pooling or exploring the coastline because more collapses similar to the one Friday will continue to occur. In other words, the period of time between the waves was short and the waves were large. Its just a matter of time. Santa Cruz mountain communities brace for turmoil as home insurers leave California over wildfire risk, VISIT THE LOOKOUT NEWSLETTER & TEXT CENTER. I was traumatized. A section of the cliff behind the lighthouse at Steamer Lane collapsed into the ocean late Friday morning. The California Highway Patrol identified the driver as Chad Gulmon, 50, of San Jose. The storm caused parts of West Cliff Drive to completely collapse onto the shore leaving gaping holes in one spot up to 20 feet long where people walked just a day before. 2023, Monterey Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KSBW-TV. CLIFF COLLAPSES AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT Surfers call fallen boulders `Devil's Teeth' 2023-02-15 - By Aric Sleeper asleeper@santacruzsentinel. (Silas Valentino/SFGATE), A storm late last year had already battered this section of West Cliff Drive, but the sidewalk is now fully removed. While we understand the desire to see the impacts, it is not worth the risk, the sheriffs office wrote on social media. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Griggs said erosion along the coastline has been happening for centuries, but the worsening impacts of climate change are exacerbating the issue something the City of Santa Cruz has been working on. How much modification is welcome remains to be seen. Sign in Home Local Headlines Coronavirus Original This is probably going to get worse, he said. Last week, he signed an emergency declaration for 42 of California's 58 counties. Theyve been really proactive about keeping people safe and taking care of the coast.. SANTA CRUZ In response to the recent collapses of the sidewalk and portions of the roadway on West Cliff Drive, after recent winter storms, the city of Santa Cruz is Cruz has. S.F. Weather | Newsom, fire leaders urge readiness as summer begins, Bay Area temps will go up, and snakes likely will be coming out, Expect a hot, smoky summer in much of America. The city of Santa Cruz is advising pedestrians and bicyclists to avoid the area and installed additional barricades over the weekend to seal it off. Before reporting on public safety at the Iowa City Press-Citizen for three years, the California native earned a masters degree at Columbia Journalism School. City of Santa Cruz works to stabilize collapses, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Colorado wedding website designer can refuse gay customers, U.S. Supreme Court rules, City of Santa Cruz works to stabilize collapses on West Cliff Drive, Bay Area heat wave: Places to cool down in Santa Clara County, California is off to a slow fire season so far, but Gov. Even then, the erosive pounding of the swell will eventually pull the massive boulders into the ocean after a few decades. Elon Musks mother wants to cancel his proposed cage fight with Mark Californians react to Supreme Court blocking student loan debt relief, An ambitious food fall is replacing a beloved Point Reyes institution, Bay Area heat wave is here. Sign up to get Lookout alerts sent straight to your phone here or below. Large rocks, pieces of broken fencing, slabs of cement and other debris covered the cliffside roadway. Former Santa Cruz mayor Hilary Bryant was out walking her dog on West Cliff Drive around 6 a.m. Thursday and said it sounded like a freight train was coming. Bryant, who has surfed in the area for the past 30 years, watched the waves in awe. Along with local onlookers, the National Guard arrived to support the city. That will probably stay in place until we do the work, he told SFGATE. Tourist filmed defacing Romes Colosseum has been identified, police say, Madonna still bedridden, vomiting uncontrollably after leaving the hospital: report, United Airlines troubles worsen at Denver airport with more than 500 cancellations, 1,000 delays over 5 days, Pornhub blocks access to Virginia users in response to new age verification law, Ex-deputy Scot Peterson found not guilty of all charges in Parkland mass shooting, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Were always striving to make our beaches safer safety is a huge part of beach access, said Jennifer Savage, California policy manager for the Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to coastal preservation. Infrastructure is expensive and there are big problems, but the time has well passed where we need to address it, she said. The impacted portion of West Cliff Drive will be closed until further notice. Its like I was on a ship, said Szecsei, recalling one of the worst nights of the storms when she thought an earthquake had struck. "Weve had so many storms back-to-back-to-back that were just we dont have enough of a dry period to do some protection in that area," said Laura Sullivan-Green, the chair of San Jose State University's engineering department.People who live in the area have been watching the huge ocean waves crash onto shore, and say they've never seen anything like it. Spangrud explained that the ground beneath West Cliff Drive is mostly sandstone and mudstone, which is not stable. Community members say they've seen it. But few places hold the allure of West Cliff Drive. Scientists and engineers familiar with the area say maintaining these headlands will only become a more difficult and costly endeavor going forward. The money, though, is likely to be far short of whats needed to protect West Cliff Drive, if thats indeed what the city chooses to do. Tragedy in Encinitas comes as nearly 75% of states coastlines erode, endangering lives, homes, and infrastructure. I think given the damage done, it seems like the city is doing their best. At one point, she and her dog were drenched by a wave. Some Santa Cruz residents have recently suggested closing the entire drive to traffic. One potential adaptation strategy is managed retreat, or the unbuilding of communities threatened by erosion and flooding along the coast using buyouts and eminent domain. Joshua Spangrud, a senior civil engineer with the city, said the transportation manager is closing one side of the street for now. Farther south, Capitola, Rio Del Mar and Seacliff experienced problems of their own. All but one are on the inland side of the road. West Cliff has seen several significant erosion events over the past few months. He said that it sounded like a landslide. A City of Santa Cruz Public Works team was at the site in the early afternoon assessing damage shortly after the collapse occurred. The sudden tragedy that befell Anne Clave; her mother, Julie Davis; and her aunt Elizabeth Cox, who had gathered at the resplendent coastline in the seaside community north of San Diego to celebrate Cox surviving cancer, made headlines around the world. But on Friday, the sidewalk caved in. Large rocks, pieces of broken fencing, slabs of cement and other debris covered the cliffside roadway. However, not everyone has been following the signs, according to westside residents Don and Addison Jacobs, who have been happy with the temporary safety measures put in place by the city. Kurtis Alexander is an enterprise reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, with a focus on natural resources and the environment. The appeal of an ocean view for residential living is hard to understate, and countless articles have been written over the years about the notable . West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California after the storm on January 5, 2023. A witness of the crash was able to pull Gulmon from the vehicle before first responders arrived. Landslides Threaten California's Cliffside Communities At that time, the city was already working on its West Cliff Drive Adaptation and Management Plan, which aims to create a framework for repairs and erosion management in areas like West Cliff Drive. Gary Griggs, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz and one of the states foremost experts on coastal erosion who has worked with the city, says ultimately a combination of tactics will probably be needed to address the damage on West Cliff Drive. A landslide on a San Francisco beach killed another beachgoer in 2019. Large waves filled with debris and high tides have prompted the closure of the Santa Cruz Wharf and a good chunk of West Cliff Drive. The man who drove his truck off a cliff and into the ocean in Santa Cruz has been identified by investigators. City of Santa Cruz Communications Manager Erika Smart said city officials are working with fire personnel, law enforcement, public works officials and the National Guard to ensure the public stays safe along the coastline. What to do if your flight is canceled or delayed, Central US now getting worst of the drought, cityofsantacruz.com/westclifftrafficcontrols, Dear Abby: I prevailed in the dispute but it split our friend group, Dear Abby: I can't even play with cats correctly, Harriette Cole: She had no right to approach my ex without my consent, Ask Amy: I haven't talked to my brother since this incident at his son's wedding reception, Police: Tourist who defaced Colosseum has been identified, Ask Amy: I'm unhappily single, and I'm hurt by what my co-workers say, Harriette Cole: My enemy has moved to my city and I'm afraid we'll run into each other, Ask Amy: He's refusing to hand over the big gift the bride was counting on, Dear Abby: We can't go out with her anymore, and we can't tell her why.