Clip: Huge Waves Destroy Popular San Diego Surf Spot Parking Lot

Dashel Pierson
·2 min read
16

The California coast is taking a beating.

From huge waves, fueled by a hyperactive El Niño season, inundating coastal infrastructure; to atmospheric rivers, unleashing historic rainfall on the Golden State.

It’s been quite the season, in terms of waves and weather.

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The latest victim of Mother Nature’s fury? The parking lot at Cardiff Reef, a popular San Diego surf spot, has been swallowed whole and washed away by massive waves and king tides of late. It’s been temporarily closed due to the damage and erosion. But by the looks of it, that “temporary” may be more of a complete rebuild.

There’s not much left.

A statement from California State Parks, obtained by Fox 5, read:

“To better ensure the safety of park visitors, we have closed the parking lot. California State Parks is in the process of finalizing plans to repair the parking lot, and we are hopeful to begin construction soon. We understand how important this beach access is to the community and look forward to completing these repairs as soon as possible.”

Related: Iconic San Onofre Beach Parking Lot Destroyed by Historic Storms

It’s not the only Southern California surf spot parking lot that’s been destroyed recently. The iconic dirt lot at San Onofre, rich with surf history, was also washed away.

In the case with San-O, the lot has been closed indefinitely.

“It’s devastating,” State Parks Superintendent Scott Kibbey told the Orange County Register. “We’re trying to wrap our heads around a solution to find a way to fix this as soon as possible. It’s impassible. You can not drive a vehicle around that right now.”

All to say, it’s been a crazy, historic, catastrophic season in California.

And it’s not over yet.

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