San Diego coast faces severe erosion and flooding from El Niño

Key Points:

• San Diego’s coastline is facing a severe compound threat from a forecasted Super El Niño, which could cause accelerated beach erosion, cliff collapses, and severe coastal flooding, potentially reshaping the southern California shore permanently.
• Experts warn that powerful waves combined with El Niño-induced sea level rises of six to 13 inches will increase risks to public parks, beaches, infrastructure, highways, and homes along the coast.
• The California Coastline Survey has been monitoring erosion since 2023, with plans for further assessments in 2026 and 2027 to measure the impact of the upcoming El Niño event.
• San Diego’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan targets critical sites like La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, and Sunset Cliffs, though funding constraints have delayed some projects, while others are in early engineering phases; sand berms are also being installed to mitigate damage.
• Coastal vulnerabilities extend from North County to South Bay, with ongoing erosion threatening infrastructure such as Interstate 5 near San Onofre State Beach, and heavy rainfall combined with wave action increasing risks to bluff stability and local sewage pollution.