ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) — In Encinitas, boulders the size of cars came crashing to the ground in a cliff collapse this week. It's part of a dangerous trend following the recent storms.
Robert Baran lives just two blocks away from the cliff that crashed down.
"I was walking down the beach a couple days ago," said Baran. "I noticed a new big bluff collapse right here next to Seabluffe. Very noticeable because a couple days ago there was nothing there. Now there are 7-foot boulders. You can see on the cliff where it all just pulled off. Basically directly down there."
Encinitas city officials say, "The failure was approximately 50 feet in length by 6-feet high. There were no injuries from the failure. With the recent weather and high surf, the City of Encinitas and the Fire & Marine Safety Department are conducting frequent patrols to identify any areas of concern. There are no beach closures currently."
People nearby are reminded of a deadly collapse in 2019 less than a mile away that left three women dead. Baran was there shortly after it happened.
"You knew it was gonna happen. You look at the cliffs, they're pretty much all the same from here to the new hotel down there. Certain sections look worse than others," said Baran. "This section in particular to me looks steep, it's kind of waiting to fall."
Geologists tell ABC10 News recent storms have taken a big toll on our coastline. Rainfall washes sand off the beaches, allowing high tides to erode the bluffs. Erosion and rain soaking into the ground make it easier for cliffs to collapse.
So geologists say they're not surprised to see parts of San Diego County's cliffs falling.
People are being told to avoid Black's Beach after a collapse on Friday. Geologists are surveying the damage, and a La Jolla trail is shut down until further notice. No one was hurt. Another cliff tumbled down in Pacific Beach Thursday. No one was injured in this collapse either.
