ENCINITAS, Calif. — High tides, no sand and ocean waves are contributing factors that caused an active landslide at Beacon's Beach to reactivate.
The City of Encinitas is urging people to avoid the area until further notice. Signs are posted all along the entrance to the trail reading in part, ‘Trail closed due to unsafe conditions.’
Beacon's Beach closure
The landslide moved downslope to the west, causing damage to the trail leaving part of it to break in pieces.
“I definitely think it was the right move for sure, I think a lot of people can be you know doing whatever and if they didn't, people would probably would've gotten hurt,” Beacon Beach visitor Grace Jones said.
Geologist and Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University Pat Abbott said Beacon’s Beach is unstable to begin with. He adds that this landslide is an equilibrium and it doesn't take much to disturb that equilibrium.
“First off, the beaches in the winter strip the sand off so that protection is gone then the big waves hitting against the cliffs …this is the maximum times of year for wave attack,” Abbott said.
High tides are a contributing factor prompting our buffs to be unstable. Dr. Abbott said landslides are probable to happen in all sea cliffs along San Diego County from Oceanside to Imperial Beach.
“Any place, not at the same rate everywhere but everywhere there are beach cliffs collapses will occur,” Abbott said.
At the moment, the parking lot at Beacon Beach is open but the city may close it off if conditions worsen. For more information and updates visit encinitasca.gov.
WATCH RELATED: Landslide reactivated at Beacon’s Beach years after warnings from scientists