ENCINITAS, Calif. — With warm and dry weather in the forecast, finding a parking spot near Cardiff State Beach might be challenging. One of the parking lots near the beach is temporarily closed after it fell apart from recent storms.
"It's like it's crazy going on out here let's see what's happening at our beach and parking lot," Sandy said.
At Cardiff Reef you'll find huge chunks of asphalt from where the parking lot collapsed.
"Everything is broken and the rocks are everywhere," Mia said.
"We're seeing chunks of the road basically everywhere on the beach," said 10-year-old Anton.
Longtime residents are surprised to see the entrance and exit of the lot closed and broken into pieces.
"I grew up here and I've never seen the parking lot look like this and the amount of rocks," Hannah said.
"We've never seen anything like this before," Brain said. "We've been living here a long time."
The recent storms caused flooding, mudslides and erosion around southern California.
"The real question is how much of this is man driven, global warming what is that leading to and is that part of what we're seeing today," Brian said.
CBS 8 checked in with the department of parks and recreation who gave the following statement:
"The Reef parking lot at Cardiff State Beach was damaged during a storm on January 21, 2024. Damage has continued to occur during subsequent storms. 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."
For now, residents say the damage has shown just how powerful mother nature can be.
"Very scary but you're right water is incredibly powerful," Brian said.
If you’re heading to Cardiff, the parking lot just south of this one is still open to beach goers.
"It's a good reminder of how powerful the ocean is," Hannah said.
WATCH RELATED: Saturated ground continues to threaten homes and hillsides