29 29 comments Best Add a Comment TurnipTaint 2 mo. Santa Cruz sets short-term and long-term plans to fix West Cliff Drive Two-way bike and pedestrian access are open in the closed lane in that stretch. I was in the water when it happened, and our buddy was actually on the wave when it detonated on the wall, said Ed Thorpe of Santa Cruz, who was on his boogie board. The recent storms, however, unraveled much of this work, with the city estimating 4,000 tons of riprap knocked out of place. Capitola Wharf damaged as storm, high surf batter Santa Cruz County Be the first to know all the big, breaking news in Santa Cruz. Waves splashed water 20 feet high, over West Cliff Drive and into the driveways of homes. Several homes in Sonoma, north of San Francisco, have been torn down or have fallen with the cliffs that had once supported them. I dont think were going to be able to wait any more. Coastal residential development, too, contributes to erosion by adding weight to clifftops and changing water drainage routes. Bay Area heat wave: Places to cool down in Santa Clara County Police closed the sidewalk, but now walkers are on the street, which some . In some areas, waves crashed into the coast and brought large rocks onto roads, leading the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office and city of Santa Cruz officials to ask the public to keep their distance. In 1913, a Fourth Order lens replaced the previous, weaker lens. Its really quite amazing, the amount of energy that the waves impact onto the rocks, said Spangrud. This is probably going to get worse, he said. How much modification is welcome remains to be seen. Santa Cruz Lighthouse and Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, 701 West Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 420-5270, Surf Museum: (831) 420-6289 . Its weaker and softer and younger and pervasively jointed and fractured, said Griggs. Limiting traffic is one of the long-term options presented in the citys 2021 adaptation and management plan for West Cliff Drive. The plans dont say exactly when each of these strategies should kick in. JAN 6, 2023 | 5:00 AM West Cliff Drive won't look the same for some time after large waves and high tide conditions converged on the vulnerable portion of Santa Cruz's iconic coastline. They dont want to see further slippage before a more holistic approach to the problem can be established. A witness of the crash was able to pull Gulmon from the vehicle before first responders arrived. A woman was killed in Santa Cruz county when a cliff collapsed beneath her feet in 2017. 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. 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. A landslide on a San Francisco beach killed another beachgoer in 2019. June 25, 2023 Updated: June 25, 2023 4:55 p.m. 2. But cliff erosion continues to imperil people and property around the state. The sidewalks met their ends on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz last week. The city is left with the unenviable decision of if and how to mend these damaged headlands. Theres no real barrier to tell them not to, and people are just blowing through the stop sign.. West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz is a popular 2.5-mile stretch along the ocean. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The recent storms caused major damage along the Santa Cruz coastline to one of the most scenic locations there catching the attention of President Biden who will visit the county later this week. A section of the cliff behind the lighthouse at Steamer Lane collapsed into the ocean late Friday morning. Scenic West Cliff Drive buckles; Biden to visit storm-damaged Santa But on Friday, the sidewalk caved in. I was traumatized. 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. Santa Cruz Public Works is currently assessing damaged portions of West Cliff Drive and already completed an emergency stabilization project Monday. UCSCs Gary Griggs uses this slide to illustrate the different geological formations that make up West Cliff Drive. I have never seen anything this dramatic, said UC Santa Cruz scientist Gary Griggs, who has observed the coast for more than 50 years. A popular sidewalk on the coast has fallen into the sea and locals say it isn't the first time. HE SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS ARRESTED ON D-U- I CHARGES. Mother Nature always bats last, said Griggs. The storied strip begins where generations of families have spent summer days on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, passes Steamer Lane and other world-famous surf spots, and culminates in the coveted neighborhoods of the citys west side. Now city officials have a new section the historic culvert at Bethany Curve to add to their growing project list. Gulmon is accused of driving under the influence when he crashed through a fence on East Cliff Drive and into the Pacific Ocean. Detour signage will direct vehicular traffic via Almar Avenue, Delaware Avenue and Woodrow Avenue. At least for a few months.. Max Chun is a locally grown reporter with an eye for community activism, human interest stories, and anything Santa Cruz. 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. Weve been coming here for 30 years and Ive never seen anything like this, said Cracknell. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander. Fortunately, none of the many homes in the area was immediately threatened. Winter storms destroyed Santa Cruz's promenade. Is it worth fixing? More permanent fixes would probably cost tens, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars. The president will meet with first responders, as well as local and state leaders. The riprap, or the big rocks on the seaward side there, have all been washed away, said Santa Cruz Senior Civil Engineer Joshua Spangrud. Chunk of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz slides away 11/29/2022 Father: 14-year-old daughter took own life after videos posted of her getting beat up in N.J. school Gulmom suffered major injuries and is still in the hospital being treated -Video from previous broadcast. Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. She said crews arrived quickly and they were still stationed there in the afternoon to keep cars and people a safe distance from the damaged portions of West Cliff Drive and the large waves. President Biden visited Santa Cruz County in the aftermath of the storms and pledged disaster aid to help repair the regions widespread damage. Collapse of cliff above Santa Cruz surfers is caught on video Sign up to get Lookout alerts sent straight to your phone here or below. Santa Cruz officials are working to pick up the pieces after part of West Cliff Drive collapsed into the ocean, Friday. A beach in Santa Cruz. His recent work has examined the impacts of drought, threats to public lands and wildlife, and the nations widening rural-urban divide. Community members say they've seen it. This storm is going to show we need to make decisions, said Griggs, adding there are essentially two options for moving forward. They could remain indefinitely with President Joe Biden's approval today of an emergency declaration in the state of California. More of the coastline is bound to fall in the meantime, endangering beachgoers and homeowners alike. landmark. Joshua Spangrud, a senior civil engineer with the city, said the transportation manager is closing one side of the street for now. THE INCIDENT ATTRACTED A LOT OF ATTENTION WITH NEARBY NEIGHBORS GATHERING TO WATCH IT. 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. 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 implemented temporary measures to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe while maintaining access to the damaged areas for nearby residents. We did not take everything into account when we started building, so now were trying to play catch up, and thats really hard. 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. 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. I hope we can save it.. Sidewalk in Popular Santa Cruz Street Collapses, Poses Safety Issue A San Jose man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving Sunday after the truck he was in plunged off a Santa Cruz cliff and into . Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Hillary covers education issues at TK-12 schools, UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College for Lookout. First, the city could protect and armor the coastline along West Cliff Drive which could mean adding large rocks or other barriers. That will be in place for at least a few months.. West Cliff Drive is a scenic, 3 mile walking and biking path along the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz with epic views of the Monterey Bay. Its just a matter of time. as experts predicted the land beneath the original building was susceptible to collapse on Point Santa Cruz. All rights reserved. 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. CREWS RESPONDED THIS MORNING TO PULL HIM OUT.. While city leaders havent committed to making the new one-way section permanent, the extent of the erosion could force their hand on this adaptation strategy, making it a reality a lot sooner than ever imagined. In fact, city leaders have been putting together plans to confront the crumbling cliffs, developing a timeline for action based on the pace of erosion. The effects of climate change are here, and now, he said. Alex Birkhofer, who grew up in Santa Cruz, says he and has fellow paddlers are appreciative of what they have and hope the surf continues to stand out even as the coastline wears down. Beginning at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, West Cliff Drive takes you past the Santa Cruz Dream Inn, West Cliff Inn, Sea & Sand, and the Seaway Inn toward a residential neighborhood. It can be dangerous.. Just over one month ago, a portion of the same area broke off and fell into the ocean. The walkway will not be reopened soon because there isn't a quick fix to this kind of erosion. At the 1016 West Cliff Drive failure location, workers placed 200 tons of boulders and fabric material on the exposed cliff until a more permanent remedy can be planned and implemented. Law enforcement closed down West Cliff Drive between Pelton and Almar avenues due to significant erosion of the road and paths along the cliff. For information about road closures and construction updates on West Cliff Drive, visit cityofsantacruz.com/westclifftrafficcontrols. 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. That will probably stay in place until we do the work, he told SFGATE. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Weather | 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. People come here from all over and post it on Facebook. About a mile of West Cliff Drive, between Swanton Boulevard and Lighthouse Field State Beach, is closed to vehicles for the foreseeable future. You have to adjust there if you want to ride close to the wall or turn off before the wave hits the rock, if youre coming in from the point, and then make a good judgment call. Crews for the city of Santa Cruz place 200 tons of rocks below cliffs on West Cliff Drive, near David Way, in Santa Cruz on Jan. 23 in an effort to temporarily secure the bluffs. He said that it sounded like a landslide. The storms, she said, got ahead of the planning, which she attributes to the accelerating impacts of climate change. CLIFF COLLAPSES AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT - PressReader Sea level is going up. Spangrud explained that the ground beneath West Cliff Drive is mostly sandstone and mudstone, which is not stable. CLIFF COLLAPSES AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT Surfers call fallen boulders `Devil's Teeth' 2023-02-15 - By Aric Sleeper asleeper@santacruzsentinel. A woman was killed in Santa Cruz county when a cliff collapsed beneath her feet in 2017. City engineers work to manage collapse on West Cliff Drive - MSN Lookout was still trying to confirm the precise damages to the area. The nearby Natural Bridges State Beach and its monarch butterfly preserve are also closed through at least Jan. 10. Man who crashed over Santa Cruz cliff identified, still hospitalized Gulmom suffered major injuries and is still in the hospital being treated. This storm is a wake-up call. If people do walk or bike along West Cliff Drive, they are advised to use caution and avoid the seaward side of the road, which could erode beneath them. The National Guard ushered people away from the edge and fielded questions from locals on Jan. 6, 2023. Sign up to get Lookout alerts sent straight to your phone here or below. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Weather | Police closed the sidewalk, but now walkers are on the street, which some say poses a safety issue. Santa Cruz County. West Cliff Drive - Visit Santa Cruz County ago I just went by it a few minutes ago. Crews to bring in 200 boulders, fabric to shore up West Cliff Drive in The closed-off bluffs and cliffs along West Cliff Drive are composed of vulnerable material that make it more susceptible to erosion, unlike the area just north which is made up of stronger mudstone, according to Griggs. Santa Cruz Lighthouse and Mark Abbott Memorial - See California Coastal communities across California are increasingly having to respond to the loss of shoreline, a result of rising seas and more intense storms driven by climate change. The California Highway Patrol identified the driver as Chad Gulmon, 50, of San Jose. Without reinforcement, the strong swell took a bite out of the sidewalk about 20 feet across and 4 feet deep, according to Spangrud. He'll go to the Central Coast, evaluate recovery efforts and see what else the federal government can help with. City engineers work to manage collapse on West Cliff Drive A sinkhole that opened up on West Cliff Drive after fierce storms on Thursday, January 5, 2023. From late December to mid-January, the series of wet fronts brought 18 inches of rain to Santa Cruz. 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. 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. Natural erosion causes new West Cliff collapse at Steamer Lane A witness of the crash was able to pull Gulmon from the vehicle before first responders arrived. Crews are still assessing the extent of the recent damage. Community members say they've seen it coming for years and have been . JAN 5, 2023 | 3:05 PM The ocean was the main culprit in Thursday's dangerous conditions around Santa Cruz County. A large section of bluff just beyond Szecseis driveway had fallen into the sea. Large rocks, pieces of broken fencing, slabs of cement and other debris covered the cliffside roadway. Del Mars plan to protect the city, where the average home is valued at $2.5m, largely hinges on building up the beach with imported sand not unbuilding parts of the town that hang in the balance. He covered the New York City music scene for The Village Voice before returning west to report for the Point Reyes Light. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. Among the coveted places to live in this city, if you have the money, is West Cliff Drive. Spangrud is currently designing the repair plan and hopes that construction will begin in January or February and be completed a few months afterward. We are Surf City, and its a place where people can access nature, said Justin Cummings, a Santa Cruz County supervisor and former city mayor who joined the Save West Cliff group. Encinitas cliff collapse is part of larger coast crisis - Los Angeles Times All rights reserved. Summer weather pattern in place for Bay Area, and first heat wave is coming Are people going to want that to be part of their coastline? Im OK with one-way and having it be more pedestrian-friendly, said West Cliff Drive resident Szecsei, among many expressing willingness to make concessions if most of the corridor can be salvaged. 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. It was paradise, Surf City-style. The series of atmospheric rivers that battered the county in January caused more than $4 million in damages to the street between Woodrow Avenue and Almar Avenue, which remains closed to motor vehicles. The erosion of West Cliff Drive and its infrastructure comes in spite of decades of efforts to engineer more stable bluffs. Santa Cruz Storm 2023 in photos: A look around the county as the ocean In the meantime, with the impacts of climate change expected to worsen, the sea-level will continue rising, waves will continue to grow larger with stronger storms, West Cliff Drive will continue to erode and collapse. West Cliff Drive between Almar Avenue and the bridge east of David Way will be open to local traffic only with shared lanes for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Were going to continue to have these big storms, and probably more frequently in the future.. But do you want to turn West Cliff Drive into a causeway with pilings? The collapse. A large chunk of sidewalk broke off a cliff in a popular walking area in Santa Cruz on Friday, causing a hazard for pedestrians and a bureaucratic headache for locals. Workers stabilize bluffs on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz on Jan 23. And sea walls meant to fortify bluffs and protect communities can actually help scour away protective sand beaches even faster. 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. SANTA CRUZ A cliff on the Steamer Lane side of Lighthouse Point collapsed last week, leaving a hazard for surfers and a foreboding crack along the edge of the point. A woman was killed in Santa Cruz county when a cliff collapsed beneath her feet in 2017. West Cliff Drive wont look the same for some time after large waves and high tide conditions converged on the vulnerable portion of Santa Cruzs iconic coastline. The section currently closed has provided a glimpse of what a car-free road looks like, and many like what they see. He was born in Bakersfield and raised in Marin County. (modern). The city also has kept the stretch in front of Szecseis home closed to most vehicles and turned an adjacent section near Lighthouse Field State Beach into a one-lane, one-directional road to relieve pressure on the bluffs. The riprap that was out there was placed mostly in the 90s.. 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. (Silas Valentino/SFGATE), Yosemite visitors are waiting 4 hours to enter a packed park, 'Far as the eye can see': Fields of 'suncups' are covering Sierra, How a miracle-obsessed megachurch conquered a California city, Wave of Bay Area tech layoffs may foreshadow something worse, Horoscope for Friday, 6/30/23 by Christopher Renstrom, 3 San Francisco pizzerias ranked among the best in the US, Calif. man defends Italian landmark from entitled tourist, 'We don't feel it's right': Costco aims to end membership sharing, This Bay Area shave ice is just like Hawaii's and worth the drive, The viral $95 T-shirt from 'The Bear' came from an SF store, Strange new details in case of long-missing Calif. boy found dead, UCSF worker charge with stealing Apple devices worth $200,000, West Cliff Drive Adaptation and Management Plan, Never seen anything like this: Yosemite visitors are waiting 4 hours to enter a packed park, 'Far as the eye can see': Fields of 'suncups' are covering the Sierra, Horoscope for Thursday, 6/29/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Bay Area forecast suggests another big windstorm is coming, 5 people killed by fallen trees in Bay Area, Glass falls from another San Francisco high rise, Storm batters Lefty O'Doul Bridge, damaging historic span, Brutal storm forces SF-bound ferry to turn around, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). (Silas Valentino/SFGATE), A storm late last year had already battered this section of West Cliff Drive, but the sidewalk is now fully removed. The area is closed until further notice.
What Infinity Stone Does Dr Strange Have,
Living Wage Assessment,
Articles S
santa cruz west cliff collapse