LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Coastal erosion triggered by strong tide events has caused a large crack to form in the cliffside under a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway near Crystal Cove State Park, on the border of Laguna Beach.
Video of the forming crack was published by SkidKids, a YouTube channel that documents surfing culture and beaches far and wide.
According to the video, the crack was seen on El Morro and Coast Highway — between Laguna and Newport Beach, near Crystal Cove State Park's lifeguard headquarters.
"The cliff side right here this close to PCH is falling... that's why all this water is so brown," Laguna Beach resident Blair Conklin, who shot the video, told Surfer. "They just closed part of one lane on PCH, and my guess is because the cliff is eroding so bad, it might be at risk of having part of PCH crumble into the ocean."
Laguna Beach City Spokesperson Lauren Ezell told Patch that the crack has formed just outside of the city's jurisdiction.
According to Ezell, the unincorporated area is managed by Caltrans and State Parks— but city officials are aware of the forming crack and are in communication with both agencies.
According to Caltrans, one land of southbound PCH is closed from Irvine Cove to Reef Point Drive. In addition, California State Parks temporarily closed part of Crystal Cove State Park and San Onofre State Beach due to damage from high surf and coastal erosion caused by Tropical Storm Rachel.
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