California, North Carolina and More US States Confront Severe Coastal Erosion Threats

Waves are eating away the land beneath California’s famous Pacific Coast Highway near Laguna Beach. A large crack has formed under the road at Crystal Cove, and fresh rain could make the danger worse. State crews are racing against time, high tides and powerful waves to keep this important road safe.
The damage has forced traffic limits on a busy part of Highway 1. The road is a key link for residents, visitors, emergency workers and local businesses. It also leads to beaches, parks and coastal towns.
Governor Gavin Newsom has now ordered stronger action before El Niño storms arrive. The move shows that California is worried about what may happen if heavy rain, huge waves and high tides strike the damaged coast at the same time.

A Crack Beneath One of California’s Most Famous Roads

Near Crystal Cove State Park, a crack under the highway is nearly 400 feet long and around two feet wide. The crack sits in the coastal bluff, the raised land that holds the road above the beach.
Ocean waves have been hitting the base of this bluff. Over time, the waves remove soil and rock. This can make the land weak. When rain falls into cracks, water can soak the ground and make it heavier and softer. That may cause more movement in the slope.
Caltrans began studying the area after finding cracks beneath the road on 10 October. The agency has narrowed the highway to one lane in each direction between Reef Point Drive and Irvine Cove Drive. Drivers must also slow down to 25 mph.
The road remains open, but officials say safety comes first. Crews have placed plastic sheeting over the cracks to stop rainwater from entering the ground. They are also preparing temporary barriers near the foot of the bluff. These barriers aim to reduce the force of waves hitting the land.

Why This Road Matters So Much

Pacific Coast Highway is more than a scenic driving route. It is a lifeline for Laguna Beach and nearby communities. People use it to go to work, school, hospitals, shops and beaches. Emergency services also depend on it during fires, storms and accidents.
Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill said the city needs every route open. There are only a few main ways in and out of the area. A full closure could cause long delays and make emergency travel harder.
The concern is not only about cars. Crystal Cove is part of a valuable coastal landscape. It attracts visitors, supports tourism and gives people access to beaches and state parks. Damage to the road could also affect park access, local jobs and small businesses.
California State Parks has already closed parts of Crystal Cove and San Onofre after high surf and strong tides caused erosion and damaged coastal facilities. At Crystal Cove, some cottages were evacuated and sand-filled barriers were installed to help absorb wave energy.

El Niño Raises the Stakes

California is preparing for a strong El Niño season. El Niño is a natural ocean and weather pattern that can change storms across the Pacific. It often brings wetter weather to parts of California.
A strong El Niño does not mean every place will face a disaster. But it can increase the risk of heavy rain, floods, landslides, coastal flooding and beach erosion. That matters greatly where roads sit close to cliffs, beaches and rising water.
Scientists are also watching Kelvin waves. These are large waves of warm water moving across the ocean. They can raise sea levels along the West Coast for a short time. When this happens during high tides and rough surf, water can reach farther inland and waves can hit with more force.
High tides alone are natural. But when they combine with storm surge, heavy rain and large waves, they can become dangerous. The water can wash over roads, damage dunes, weaken cliffs and flood low-lying communities.
California’s emergency work is designed to reduce these risks before the worst winter storms arrive. Caltrans is clearing drains, checking culverts, preparing sandbags and placing equipment near high-risk roads. The state says it has storm equipment ready at more than 120 maintenance yards.

Newsom Orders a Wider Highway 1 Response

On 27 October, Governor Newsom signed an order to protect Highway 1 and coastal communities. The order created a Highway 1 Task Force led by state transport and natural-resources agencies.
The task force will identify weak parts of the highway, recommend urgent projects and look for funding. It will also try to speed up preventive work before storms cause more damage.
Caltrans has been asked to give priority to landslide prevention where possible. State Parks will study how road closures and repairs could affect public access to beaches and parks.
The action also looks beyond this winter. California has spent about $312 million on emergency Highway 1 projects in the Big Sur corridor between 2020 and 2026. The figure shows how costly repeated storm damage can become.

North Carolina Offers the Clearest Warning

The closest example to California is on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. N.C. 12 is a vital road that links barrier-island communities. Residents, visitors, businesses and emergency crews depend on it.
Recent coastal storms caused major damage near Pea Island. Ocean water washed over the highway. Waves and high tides broke up the pavement and tore away protective dunes. More than 1,100 feet of road was damaged.
The situation became so serious that normal road access to Hatteras Island was cut off. North Carolina had to activate emergency ferry services. These ferries helped people travel between the island and the mainland while crews worked on repairs.
Workers had to wait for high tides and overwash to ease before they could safely rebuild the damaged area. They removed broken asphalt, rebuilt dunes and prepared the road for traffic again.
This is an important warning for California. A lane restriction can become a full closure if waves keep damaging the land under a road. A temporary repair may also need to be followed by a bigger long-term project.
North Carolina shows how quickly a coastal transport problem can affect daily life. People may struggle to get to work, school, shops, hospitals and emergency services. Visitors may cancel trips. Local businesses may lose customers.

Washington Uses Dunes to Protect State Route 105

Washington State is facing a similar long-running problem at Graveyard Spit, near Willapa Bay. State Route 105 runs close to a changing shoreline. In the past, coastal erosion became so serious that part of the road washed away. The highway had to be moved inland.
Washington is now building a major protection project worth about $28 million. Crews are raising dunes and creating a wave-absorbing cobble barrier. The aim is to slow erosion and protect both the road and nearby homes.
The project is important because it uses a nature-based idea. Instead of relying only on concrete walls, it uses dunes and rock to act more like a natural beach. The dunes can help absorb wave energy before it reaches the highway.
California may face similar choices in the future. Temporary barriers may protect Highway 1 for now. But long-term safety may require bigger changes, including stronger shoreline protection, redesigned slopes or changes to the road itself.

Maine Strengthens Roads Before the Next Storm

Maine is also taking action before disaster strikes. In Southwest Harbor, MaineDOT closed part of Seawall Road for work designed to make Route 102A stronger during future storms.
The project includes gabion baskets near the oceanfront. These are strong wire cages filled with rock. They help hold the ground in place and reduce erosion. Crews are also installing a reinforced concrete culvert to improve water flow.
Further south, Route 1 through Scarborough Marsh has faced repeated flooding from high tides and coastal storms. MaineDOT and local officials are developing a resilience project to protect this important route.
Maine’s work shows that prevention can be less costly than waiting for a road to fail. It also shows that coastal states must plan years ahead, not only after a storm causes damage.

Hawaii and Alaska Face Their Own Coastal Battles

In Hawaii, erosion from Kona Low storms forced slope-protection work on Hāna Highway on Maui. Officials closed one lane while crews worked on the weakened slope. The road is important because it connects communities and visitors across East Maui.
In Alaska, coastal erosion is an even bigger challenge for remote communities. At Shishmaref, annual storms have repeatedly damaged land near the airport, landfill road and other essential infrastructure. Powerful storms in western Alaska have also damaged access routes and airports.
These places are very different from Laguna Beach. Yet the main problem is the same. Ocean waves can weaken the land that holds roads, airports and buildings in place.

California Faces a Race Against the Sea

The Crystal Cove emergency is a clear sign of the pressure facing coastal roads across America. Waves are becoming a transport issue, a tourism issue and a public-safety issue.
California crews are trying to protect Pacific Coast Highway before stronger storms arrive. Their work may keep the road open this winter. But the bigger question remains: how can coastal communities protect vital transport routes as storms, high tides and erosion continue to test the shoreline?
For now, Highway 1 remains open. But California’s famous road is in a race against rain, waves and time.

A Race Against Weather and Water

At Crystal Cove, engineers are gathering data to plan a longer-term fix. For now, workers must act when tides and waves allow. They cannot safely work at every hour of the day.
The road is still open, but the future depends on weather, ocean conditions and how well temporary protections hold. California is trying to stop a local crack from becoming a much larger coastal emergency.

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