Watch: Pacifica Coastal Erosion Oct 1st 2022 

When the ‘89 quake hit 3 friends and I were surfing Cornholes (south end of Ocean Beach SF) and the very first thing I remember happening was a huge dirt cloud further south down the beach. I hollered at the boys to bring attention while pointing out that there wasn’t any sound- like construction noise or blasting- nothing. Immediately the most high strung buddy of mine started repeating “EARTHQUAKE! EARTHQUAKE!” with his normally red face becoming even more red. SlowDude figured he was done and said he was going in and that’s right about the time we noticed the smoke coming from the Marina District (SF). I went in next and by the time I reached the beach SlowDude was in a full sprint straight at me furiously explaining how IT WAS an earthquake and that the Bay Bridge had collapsed, the World Series at Candlestick Park (Giants vs. A’s) was called off and on and on. While getting dressed numerous cars would pull in to the old parking lot that used to be there asking us for one thing- gas,as all of the stations were shutting down. Driving back home my buddy and I were arguing over where to get gas as I was basically on empty and didn’t want to run out on the fwy and was gonna stop at the BP station on Sneath Blvd./280…while he was saying just push it dude you’ll make it- that gas station won’t be open. As captain I made the decision to go to the BP where not only were they open and operational so we could get gas, but we also watched as Jose Canseco pulled in directly across from us after bailing the WS. Also used to live on Hilton Dr. and worked for the local towing company in town as well- excellent video thanks for the memories Bruddah!

When people choose to live or build on the edge of a coastline that has been deteriorating for centuries, they have no one to blame when the inevitable happens but themselves.

What really amazes me when I watch footage like this is that I remember when it would have taken a helicopter and a professional video camera to get this video. Now anyone can get it with a drone. People seem to forget that, no matter how many amazing things we can do, we can't hold back nature. Not permanently, at any rate. Nothing lasts forever. The people in Fort Myers and on Sanibel Island have learned that the hard way.

Having grown up over the hill in SSF, I have witnessed the constant erosion of those cliffs. The cliffs are nothing more than ancient packed sand. Only a fool would build anywhere near the cliff edge.

Pacifica is wild and beautiful. One can admire but building on that ground can't and should not be done. I appreciate it just as it is.

I stayed at a place in Shelter Cove, CA that was right on the edge of a cliff. The ocean view from the balcony was stunning. Before we left I told the owner, "You know this is going to tumble down the cliff one day." She said, very matter-of-factly, "I know".

Can't stop Mother Nature, erosion is crazy but beautiful at the same time. Thanks for the update. Great footage and good music, fitting.

Wow! I lived in Pacifica with my family until I was 12. We moved to Napa California in 1975. I can’t believe how much erosion has taken place. We used to play on the beach in Pacific Manor, it’s not there anymore!😞 Thanks for sharing, it took me back in time!

The cliffs in that area for years have been sliding into the sea. Been that way since the 60s' when I first saw them, and it will continue. The WW-II Pill-Box in the Devil's Slide area in the 70s' was set back on the flats at one time when you could walk around it and the drop-off was 30/40 yards away, and now beginning to hang over. People have paid dearly for property the Real-estate crooks sold knowing they could make a fortune from those who would not know better, and the city council who allowed it.

This was my town for 30 years. Moved away 6 years ago. The cliff in the early part if this video in front of Lands End condos extended at least 100 yards or more from where it is now. I read somewhere that erosion along the coast avgs. 1 ft per year so if the land extends 100 yards you might think you're safe for 300 years. However erosion isn't uniform and 20 ft can go in one winter storm.

The large vacant lots at 5:40 are where apartments once stood untill a few years ago when they ended up overhanging the cliffs after a storm and were declared uninhabitable.

Who could have guessed that ocean front cliffs erode? All that prime real estate losing value while across the street is gaining value, for another 40 years, then the street collapses and the value drops again and another street back increases.

Mom: “Why don’t you go play in the back yard Billy!” Billy: “What back yard?"

Stunning footage! I live in SF & used to walk my dogs on that beach by the condos all the time & wondered if that trail was still there. Pacifica is such a gem!

That house that is sitting on the edge (on Palmetto dr.), my brother used to live there. He rented a room from the lady that owned the property. It used to be the radio station. When he lived there in the mid-late 90's there was probably more than 200 feet of land in front of the house (actually in back of the house but leading to the ocean). It is so crazy to see that in 30 years the house is in danger of sliding off now too. I guess that is the risk one takes when living on the edge of the world! I hope it gets that cliffside stabilized so they don't lose the house. It is truly a piece of Pacifica's history!

The San Andreas fault passes directly through this zone, so the rock is brecciated (crushed). Hence the lack of slope stability.

watching from South Africa.....i can always feel how much you love your coastline. Your footage is stunning. Lovely to continue following you and compare old footage to the latest. sea level rise is relentless, inch by inch

Our son worked at the Pacifica Nursing Home so we have been paying attention to this for some time. It's sad that people will lose their homes.

Pacifica is beautiful. About 20 years ago, I had the pleasure of working there as an AT&T maintenance tech from Oceanside. My memories were actually from the other side of PCH, where the views were amazing, this neighborhood that I frequented was at least 500' above coast highway with commanding views of the area. I had to use 1st gear in my rickety old tower truck to make it up the super steep hill but WOW, the view was worth it. Unfortunately, I would then have to go back down that same steep hill afterwards, all the way wondering if my brakes would hold out.

Gorgeous video. I lived in Pacifica from 1999-2020 and miss the ocean so much. Big sea level rise from the Greenland ice sheet and Antarctic glaciers are coming sooner than expected...so tragic. Same thing happening on the coast of Oregon.

Very comprehensive video of the Pacifica area. 👍 Thanks for the update. There are some changes. Very steady view so seems like it was a good flying day. Thanks and all the best🤠

Love this, thank you! I’ve been fascinated by this ever since I ran across the first video years ago. It’s sad but interesting to see how the edges are still being eaten away. The pier is looking dirty and derelict like there’s no maintenance on it anymore.

This is a Earthquake zone too ! that house on the edge is not a place I would live !

having that tent on the cliff would be really cool, until it wasn't

Lived on the west coast my whole life....and watched people build in the most ridiculous of places. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes (enjoyed the flight & music very much, thank you!!).

The music was a lovely fit. I live in Pacifica and I got to see parts I will never get to.

CA here. So sad to see this much but we knew in the 60s and before. I expected a lot more along coast in So Cal. But this is heartbreaking. Thank you for the high quality video and very relevant music. Beautifully told.

I CAN REMEMBER IN THE 50'S WHEN THEY STARTED BUILDING ON THE CLIFFS THEY WERE TOLD ONE DAY YOUR HOME WILL BE ON THE BEACH. SO HERE WE ARE ONE DAY.

Around 2001 we camped at that RV park to get away from the Central Calif summer heat. We went there many times up until 2013. We noticed the prime parking area had crumbled away.

Great video. I always wondered about the extent of the erosion and this gives a great view of it. Depending on severity of winter storms there seem to be dozens of homes that will be gone in 5-15 years.

Great video, thank you for the update . you've improved your Technique, and flying ability.

Same is happening here in Oregon. People want the view but fighting mother nature is a fool's errand.

I lived in South San Francisco in the 60s, about a 10 minute drive from Pacifica. (Moved away when I was a teenager toward the end of the 60s.) SSF was foggy, but I think Pacifica was even foggier. We occasionally went there to see the ocean--and I seem to remember a group of us having a small bonfire and food for some event.... But mostly what I remember now is how cold it was!

Wow! I lived near SF State off of 19th Ave growing up and my parents used to take us to Pacifica to walk on the beach, that was 50 years ago. Enjoyed the video as it brings back so many good memories. So sad how much erosion has occurred and even sadder to see how derelict some of the homes have become but why sink money into something that is going to be claimed by the sea eventually.

We bought a house in Pacifica in 1972. We only lived there for 5 years. We now live in San Diego area. We kept the house in Pacifica because it’s our first home. And we love Pacifica! ❤

Great video I'm watching it in Phnom Penh Cambodia 🇰🇭

Garbage along the cliffs?! So disrespectful. 💔

Thanks for the update!❤️ Incredible...😔

Bad zoning the homes were built with a short shelf life. Happens in Nantucket island as well.

Hello from Naples, Florida. Awesome views of the erosion in the coast. Thank you for sharing with us.

The thing is you can buy some of these places near cliff edges very cheaply indeed, on the provisio that you do not sleep there on nights a storm might be due in. A friend of mine bought a place for about 1/30th of what would be the normal price & was able to stay there for most of 10 years before he was instructed to evacuate. An amazing old cottage with brilliant sea views that otherwise he would never have the chance to experience. He knew he would never be able to sell it & knew he would only have limited time there. Also whenever a bad storm was due he had to go along a path & sleep in his car. But in the summers it was great for him & his friends. They had times they will never forget.

I'm a 40 year contractor on the Oregon coast, we push mother nature and when shit happens, we wonder why!

I've been so hoping for an update video. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Thank you, this was a treat to watch.

This is so sad - losing a home is a terrible thing. Best wishes to those affected.

There used to be a beach directly north of the pier, I remember a few Striper runs on the beach. Ever since that promenade was built and the rip rap was dumped at it's base, the erosion process was accelerated further north by the now demolished apartments.

The dancing waves, invincible wind and calming music serenades through the beauty and danger of nature.

This is such a great aerial video along the Pacifica coastline. Beautiful piano work/music as well. Some of the highlights of my youth was after my parents bought a small home in the Manor area (Miller Ave.) back in August of '75. It was finally nice to leave a pretty rough area of San Francisco, be less than a mile from the ocean till '86. My uncle use to have a girlfriend back in the '70s that lived in one of the two complexes which was demolished few years ago (by the stairs). It's fascinating, yet sad how fast the coastline has eroded since those magical years of past.

Love these videos. Those storms must be so powerful to erode so much land. I’ve never been here during a storm but would love to some day. Gray days at the beach are so mystical and magical.🦋

Part of the problem is builders only think of the great beauty and close proximity to the rugged California coast and don’t think about how fragile the ecology has become from erosion and storms. And earthquakes! These homes will eventually be in the sea. No one should be allowed to build this close to the sea. Great video.

Lived in Pacifica for about 15 yrs haven't been back since early 80's 😊 Still love it there I have a life long friend that lives there ❤😊

I always made an attempt to stay in Pacifica any time I was near SFO. Love the town and the coast views are some of the most beautiful in the US. I see homelessness is there too - that aqua tent on the cliffside shows you the depths people will go to in order to find a space to be. So sad the home prices make CA unreachable to most working class folks. Good luck to the people there, but time is not on your side.

Interesting as I grew up in the 50-60’s Malibu and remember homes perched on sandstone cliffs along PCH about to slide down into PCH due to rain erosion. It’s all so beautiful even on a cold grey day.

Its amazing to see and that theres a mobile home park and salvage yards with an ocean view with how expensive real estate is there

In Lima, Peru, there coastline is very similar. In the 1960s, a large number of jetties were constructed along the coast and that not only stopped the erosion, but the sand deposits increased the size of the beaches. Now there are sandy beaches where in the past it was just rocks

Great Video!! I’d never live that close to water, it’s so unpredictable. If I’m a 20-30min drive away from the beach, that’s fine by me. I’ve seen too many videos of freak storms that cause havoc on a coastline. They can have it but then they can lose everything too.

It is amazing to be on a planet that is moving and transforming and being a part of it. There are scary parts but at the same time it is awe inspiring to watch the earth and nature . Stay safe Much love from Australia 💖✌️

O cenário é triste, entretanto, a abordagem feita é espetacular, a trilha sonora envolvente e a finalização do video foi incrível. Parabéns.

Video that sends shivers down my spine ... I am on the other side of the planet, in France on the edge of the Gulf of Morbihan where I built my house in 1994. Where at the highest tides the sea rose is exceeded of more than 50 cm, the hedges of the houses burn because their roots are gnawed by the sea salt which penetrates in depth. I've seen more change in 30 years than any previous generation.It’s high time to act if it's not already too late 😬

Thanks for the update

Grew up in linda mar area, most of these buildings were not there.

We lived in Ocean Colony HMB for 18 years. Saw the coast recede some 20 feet over all. Once a huge chunk fell out. It’s unstable. It was once ocean sentiment that rose up. It’s an active fault area. Enjoy it while it’s there. I do feel bad for the folks. Shame on the local planning committee for allowing the edge to be zoned for building.

Thanks for the update!

Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, Monterey, Carmel are all gems

Watching now. The little red building is still there. Thanks for making a current video.

Moral of the very old story. Don't build your house on sand.

Nice update. Thanks !

I used to get these views by paragliding along Pacifica CA. The cliff has cut so near to the old women's brick home that was the farthest north. The two-story apartment complex that we used as an extension of the cliff is now long gone. The sand dunes and nearby coffee shop was a nice stop to recharge. Kids at the trailer park had a grand time when we flew by. Several of us flew over the pier and came back part way but had to land out near the shore. Nobody was able to fly over the pier and then all the way back to The Dumps.

The California coast line looses an estimate 6” per year. Anyone living near enough has had ample warning. We cannot stop Mother Natur, no matter how much money has been spent. IT ALL CAME TO PASS ❤

Great footage; sad to see what's happening at this beautiful place.

Beautiful! Miss It! I spend two weeks there in 2018.

Thanks! Thanks! I’m now a city council member for this northern section of Pacifica and I so appreciate your documentation of our bluffs? There’s been more erosion since this video, I hope you can come back soon!

Erosion is a natural process, often accelerated and exacerbated by human development and activity. One would think people would factor this into their life decisions, such as housing, but often they just don’t.

Ocean view property for sale with quick access to the beach, no low balls I know what I got. 😅

Great video, thank you for sharing.

I think the house at 8:29 was actually on sale for the longest time, like all of 2020 but an all cash deal. IIRC that courtyard was actually beautiful but completely rusted over, and overgrown with plants. However, I don't think they showed that deck in the zillow listing 😁

Hello, from Dublin, CA! I've been intrigued with the crumbling cliffs of Pacifica for the past decade. Your videos and drone expertise are so dope! I even got a little lightheaded going over the pier. Great video! Such a sad situation for people who've lost their homes. 🙏 I hope you continue to do updates. Thank you so much for doing what you do! 🌊 📹

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (27) The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Waiting with anticipation for an updated 2023 video !! Anytime soon?

Absolutely fascinating. The contrast between how calm and serene the ocean is compared to the extent of the destruction it unleashes on the shoreline and buildings seemingly so far removed and above it. The choice of music was perfect to help accentuate that paradox. Be interesting to see some footage of that same area during a storm to put it all in perspective.

Excellent camera work. That is one stable drone. Thanks for flying over my old apartment building which I have shown in a couple of my videos. There is nothing like living on the cliffs. Speaking of which I was surprised to see the tent and trash bags. I thought I saw a tent high up on San Bruno Mountain but then I thought maybe it was something else. I guess one could say camping is really taking off.

I love how people think that they can concrete their way out of the inevitable.

Thanks for the video! How far back from the Pacific coast would be considered safe in future builds? Just wondering. My late brother lived in California for a number of years before moving to Vegas because of his employment.

Cant have a video about Pacific coast without at least one homeless tent...

This is happening on the north pacific coast as well, it is concerning to the many folks who live near the shoreline. Exceptional footage Thank you

Very cool footage. Wowzers that little tent on the cliff. I wonder the cost of dumping those heavy rocks on the bottom to slow erosion.

My fav place to go with parents. It’s so beautiful. I love the paragliders too . And always wondered how the erosion and flooding will happen throughout time. My uncle and aunt fish at that pier all the time

I remember driving past Devils Slide in 2005 and 2006, close to Pacfica (where I did stay, but far away from the coast). In 2006 work had started to dig a tunnel to get past Devils Slide. The coastline of San Francisco & California is slowly moving into the ocean. I live in the Netherlands where we have always been fighting the powers of nature at the coastline. We have always been able to push back the sea. But SFO might not have prioritized funding that.

That part of the coast has been an eye sore for years.

As long as the angle of Repose on that loose soil is greater than 30 or 35% the sliding of the Cliffs will continue.

Fascinating. Ive never seen this place. Thank you for sharing

Great video!

Wow those cliffs are all compressed sand.

Have a look at Prince of Wales Drive, Port Botany, Australia, the sea wall protecting the Fluid Terminal built about 50 years ago hasn't moved. About 2 Klms long, links together like Lego, too big just can't move. This would be a big commitment however, would work. Each piece weights a few tons with not enough surface area for the sea to move it. There's thousands of tons of concrete all sliding together.

I grew up in Pacific Manor in Pacifica back in the 50's and 60's. I remember way back when we had an earth quake, late 60's, I think, and parts of the coast highway slid down into the ocean, between Daily City and Pacifica, and they had to reroute the highway inland around the slide. Used to ride my motorcycle in that area after the slide. Later, there was another slide a few miles south of that, where there were apartments close to the beach cliffs, a bit north of Manor Drive. After that slide, the apartments were left right on the cliff edge, just like those at the 7:30 mark.

dang i miss living on that cliff. OceanAire apartments were like $1600/m for a studio back in 2016 (before a corporate entity bought them,) and now they're upwards of $2600/m for a tiny studio to fall off the cliff in an earthquake....

Dopes on cliffs.

Memories of my youth in areas like Pacifica and JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings colliding... I understand why the Elves tried to use their rings of power to slow down the passage -- and ravages -- of time.

Wow what an amazing video. Ty for sharing a piece(s) of home. I left in 1985. Visited often but wow !!!

The music is perfect for the video. Well done.