Erosion affects the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County, California
Caltrans is working to repair the Pacific Coast Highway from recent weather river events.
Malibu, California – A barrage of weather river events impacting the Golden State over the past week has created a precarious situation along the Pacific Coast Highway, where erosion has forced crews to make emergency repairs in Ventura County.
The city of Malibu said lanes will be closed overnight along the PCH so Caltrans can perform emergency work to repair the collapsed ramp caused by recent river weather events.
“Caltrans plans to install rails to close the right ocean lane and begin emergency steps to stabilize the collapsed slope,” city officials said in a statement. “The Caltrans inspector must assess the damage every morning and determine a safe time to reopen.”
The site of the latest erosion is about 60 miles northwest of where houses were captured on drone video laughing at the edge of a cliff in Orange County.
Erosion can be seen along the Pacific Coast Highway. (Fox 11)
A series of atmospheric rivers caused flooding, landslides, and erosion up and down the Golden State's coast.
This scene is a classic result of an active El Niño pattern that the USGS has previously linked to extreme erosion events.
An investigation following the large El Niño of 2015-16 found that erosion was 76% higher than normal along the West Coast and that the region would be increasingly vulnerable to coastal threats.
Flood watch extends from San Francisco to Los Angeles as weather river storms target California
A satellite episode of an atmospheric river event impacts the west on February 16, 2024. (NOAA)
Caltrans has not said when it expects the repair work to be completed, but the state faces another round of storm systems over the weekend and into the next work week.
Forecast models indicate that rainfall totals could reach 2-4 inches along the coast, with greater amounts of rain falling at higher elevations.
Wet weather will likely cause travel delays along the PCH and Interstates 5, 80 and 15.
Higher elevations, above 6,000 feet, are preparing for significant snowfall accumulations. Winter storm warnings have been issued for the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where snow accumulations could reach 2 feet and wind speeds could reach more than 40 mph.
“Travel may be very difficult or impossible,” the National Weather Service stated. “Hazardous conditions may affect morning or evening commuting.”
WATCH: Southern California homes hang over cliff edge after storms cause erosion
The potential for dangerous weather is expected to fade mid-week as drier air enters the region, leading to more seasonal weather.
The increased rainfall was helpful as none of the state's 58 counties faced drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
