Coastal cliffs in San Francisco's Pacifica community are wasting away due to heavy rains and crashing waves, placing numerous homes and residents in danger. Several local and federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, visited the coastal community where clifftop apartments are currently in jeopardy.
Because of the crumbling cliffs, residents are being forced to move out. Speier promised to seek both federal and state support to help save the collapsing cliffs from total destruction.
Earlier this week, officials announced a 20-unit apartment complex in Pacifica as unsafe. The announcement came with an order to move out by sunset, which sent residents panicking as they looked for a place to go. However, despite the order and the increasing dangers, some of the residents refused to leave.
"Yes, I'm staying. I'm absolutely staying. The buildings, like we've said before, next door have way more damage and they're still standing after five years. So to displace 20 families and all their animals is ridiculous," said resident Michelle Mackay.
Mackay added that some residents can't afford to move and have nowhere to go. She noted that they had no further damage since New Year's Eve. But according to Pacifica City Manager Lorie Tinfow, El Niño is hammering the coastline very hard, resulting in both private and public property damages reported almost daily.
"We need state and federal assistance to respond to the growing list of failing public infrastructure including the Beach Blvd. sea wall failure," said Tinfow.
The Pacifica community has experienced similar problems in the past years. In 1998, when major El Niño storms struck California, the bluffs gave in. Residents had only enough time to flee before one of the houses fell into the ocean, followed by several more. In 2010, the same problem led to the evacuation of two apartment buildings in the community.
The California's wet winter storms are expected to prevail until March. This is good news to solve the state's drought problem. However it poses threats to coastal communities due to erosion.
Photo: Chris Makarsky | Flickr
