A massive crack has opened near Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, raising concerns that one of Southern California’s most iconic coastal routes could be edging closer to the ocean.
The fracture appeared in the bluff beneath PCH near El Morro, just north of Laguna Beach, after weeks of heavy surf, high tides and hurricane-driven swells battered the already vulnerable coastline.
Caltrans has closed one southbound lane of PCH between Irvine Cove and Reef Point Drive for emergency work. The affected stretch runs near Crystal Cove State Park.
Laguna Beach resident Blair Conklin, who recorded the damage in a YouTube video, said the situation appeared to be deteriorating quickly.
“This problem seems to be escalating quicker than people thought,” Conklin wrote in the video’s description.
The footage shows a deep crack slicing through the cliffside directly beneath the highway, while brown, turbulent water churns below as the bluff continues to erode.
“The cliff side right here this close to PCH is falling… that’s why all this water is so brown,” Conklin told Surfer.
“They just closed part of one lane on PCH, and my guess is because the cliff is eroding so bad… it might be at risk of having part of PCH crumble into the ocean.”
Conklin estimated that the crack was roughly 10 feet from the roadway, according to Surfer, and warned that a major collapse could occur within days.
Sky5 footage from KTLA also captured the fractured bluff Tuesday afternoon, showing the crack beneath the roadway after months of pounding surf.
California State Parks has also temporarily closed portions of Crystal Cove State Park and San Onofre State Beach because of high-surf damage and coastal erosion following Tropical Storm Rachel.
At Crystal Cove, 26 historic beachfront cottages were evacuated as a precaution after officials reported “significant coastal erosion and infrastructure damage.”
The damage comes as Southern California contends with a volatile combination of El Niño conditions, high tides, a Kelvin wave and hurricane swell.
In his video description, Conklin said the combination “has all led to the destruction” visible along the Laguna Beach coastline.
NOAA says El Niño is continuing to strengthen, with a strong to very strong event likely between January and March 2027.
California has already declared a state of emergency ahead of what could be a historic winter storm season.
In Laguna Beach, the threat is already being felt as the coastline cracks open beside Pacific Coast Highway.
