California coastal erosion is sending homes into the ocean
An aerial view of waves breaking near eroding cliffs on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner rail corridor at the Pacific Ocean coastline on August 16, 2024 in Del Mar, California. Rising sea levels and stronger storms have contributed to increased erosion and landslides along the vital Amtrak Pacific Surfliner coastal rail corridor which runs over 350 miles through Southern California to California’s Central Coast. Erosion and landslides on coastal bluffs led to three extended closures along the route in 2023 and
Images from the Californian coastal city of Rancho Palos Verdes show homes precariously close to collapsing into the Pacific Ocean. The creep of the coastline back due to erosion has caught some residents by surprise, but it is not an isolated incident — with many communities up and down the state facing similar problems.
Host Deepa Fernandes speaks to Los Angeles Times reporter Rosanna Xia, author of the book “California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline,” which is out in paperback next week for more.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
