Coast Highway was closed in both directions in Dana Point, from Beach Road to Camino Capistrano, following a landslide caused by the latest storm.
The debris stretched across the roadway.
“We will update you when the roadways are clear,” the city said on social media. “Please plan on using alternate routes in the meantime.”
In January, there was another landslide in the same area similar in size.
Wednesday’s stretched across two lanes, said Nichole Squirrell, senior administrator for the city’s Public Works Department. It was mostly cleaned up by 9:30 a.m., though the road was expected to be closed at least until the afternoon because crews were still working to clear blocked storm drains, she said.
Public Works Director Matt Sinacori said it was a small slide, most of it vegetation, about 50 to 100 yards long.
“It just takes some energy to clear to make it safe for everyone,” he said.
In 1993, five ocean-view homes in Dana Point were lost when 44,000 tons of hillside collapsed from an eroded bluff following heavy rains. Landslides happened again in 2011 and 2015 along this same stretch, though those were much smaller and were cleaned up in a few days.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, many areas of coastal California are subject to cliff erosion and coastal landslides, especially during winter seasons as a result of heightened precipitation.
Source: Orange County Register
Be First to Comment