Heavy Rainfall Could Expedite Erosion Of San Diego’s Coastal, Inland Cliffs

Several recent storms to hit the San Diego County region could spell disaster for erosion prone areas of the coast and inland valleys. Rainfall running over coastal bluffs with a history of erosion could increase the likelihood of future erosions along our shores. Adam Young, a scientist with Scripps Institution of Oceanography San Diego, says an active season already could led to more crumbling of local cliff sides following heavy showers. “Pretty much whenever you have a new rainfall event, you’ll pretty much see a new landslide … The more rain we get, the more landslides,” Young says. “Every time you have a failure, stress distribution can change.”