Battered Pacifica Declares A State Of Emergency
PACIFICA (CBS SF) -- Battered by a series of El Nino generated storms and pounding surf, Pacifica's city manager declared a state of local emergency Friday.
"El Nino is hitting the City's coastline very hard and creating almost daily reports of impacts to both public and private property," City Manager Lorie Tinfow, who is also the Director of Emergency Services, said in a news release. "We need State and Federal assistance to respond to the growing list of failing public infrastructure including the Beach Blvd. sea wall failure."
Since December 15, Pacifica has suffered damage to the Pacifica Pier, the Milagra Watershed Outfall and a sea wall along Beach Blvd.
Tinfow said funding for repairs to all three structures remained to be determined.
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Private properties located on Esplanade Avenue and Palmetto Avenue have also been affected. The owners of two properties were notified in the past 10 days that their structures were not safe to inhabit, the city said in the news release.
Other areas along the cliff are experiencing significant loss of bluff top as well.
Previously the apartment buildings at 330 and 320 Esplanade were deemed uninhabitable and the city has been working with the property owners to demolish them. The structural integrity of 310 Esplanade is also being closely monitored.
"Our investment in city streets and public utilities is also at risk as the erosion undermines the existing structures." Tinfow said in the release. "We hope all property owners along the City's coastline are aware of how fluid the weather situation is and take appropriate precautions."
The announcement came as Bay Area residents braced for a second punch from a winter storm front that threatened to make the evening commuter treacherous with high winds and steady rains.
After a wet morning commute, residents had a brief respite from the brunt of the storm as the front edge of the low pressure moved through.
Light showers and occasional gusts peppered the Bay Area from Napa to San Leandro through mid-day Friday.
While the storm made driving challenging, it's arrival and a massive snowstorm in the East Coast created chaos at San Francisco International Airport.
SFO officials said 68 departures and 49 arriving flights had been cancelled as of mid-morning.
The National Weather Service has issued several advisories related to the storm front for the Bay Area.
- A coastal flood advisory has been issued for waters from Point Reyes National Seashore to Monterey
- A high surf advisory has been issued for waters from Point Reyes National Seashore to Monterey until 5 p.m. Saturday.
- A wind advisory was issued for the Bay Area hills until 4 a.m. Saturday.
- A winter weather advisory goes into effect at 4 p.m. for the Sierra
Strong and gusty winds were expected until Saturday morning. Power outages and downed trees were possible, weather service officials said.
A tree fell into a building in San Francisco's Mission District at 9:24 a.m. No injuries were reported.
The Coast Guard also was warned boaters, beachgoers and others near the coast to be aware of hazardous beach conditions. Waves reaching of heights of 12 to 16 feet were possible until late Saturday afternoon.
Santa Cruz County officials advised residents around Pajaro Dunes and Rio Del Mar to be aware of high surf, tides and waves. County officials told residents to avoid jetties and rocks along the coast and keep an eye on waves.
Two University of California at Santa Cruz students were swept off some rocks and out to sea on Monday and have not been found.
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