Why the 2024 winter storms are causing road closures
As storms continue to hit Southern California, coastal erosion and landslides will continue to be a problem for coastal communities in the state.
PCH is closed in both directions following mudslides brought on by this week’s rains, coming only a week after a six-mile stretch farther north up the PCH began its nightly shutdown, following damages from the early February storm.
Those rains, accompanied by waves, brought chunks of pavement onto the beach, eroding the roadway’s shoulder and parts of the southbound lanes.
Landslides are basically the movement of any mass of rock, earth or debris being pushed down against an unstable slope.
When heavy rains come back-to-back, they can accelerate that slope failure, softening layers of clay and becoming a nightmare to all sorts of developments.
We’ve seen the threat of landslides at places like Rancho Palos Verdes, where ruined roadways, water and gas leaks, and property damage have led local leaders to seek an emergency declaration from the state.
It’s this same land movement that’s caused the Wayfarer’s Chapel to announce its indefinite closure last week.
As Ron Lin reports, Southern California is already above a threshold that would contribute to greater risk of landslides should a high-intensity rain event occur.
Those rains, accompanied by waves, brought chunks of pavement onto the beach, eroding the roadway’s shoulder and parts of the southbound lanes.
Landslides are basically the movement of any mass of rock, earth or debris being pushed down against an unstable slope.
When heavy rains come back-to-back, they can accelerate that slope failure, softening layers of clay and becoming a nightmare to all sorts of developments.
We’ve seen the threat of landslides at places like Rancho Palos Verdes, where ruined roadways, water and gas leaks, and property damage have led local leaders to seek an emergency declaration from the state.
It’s this same land movement that’s caused the Wayfarer’s Chapel to announce its indefinite closure last week.
As Ron Lin reports, Southern California is already above a threshold that would contribute to greater risk of landslides should a high-intensity rain event occur.
