Stunning video that captured the moment a massive section of cliff broke off and fell onto a beach in the San Diego area.
The incident happened around 2.45pm on Friday as local law enforcement received reports of a 10-minute landslide involving large sections of the cliff.
The collapse is the most notable and significant cliff collapse in 40 years, according to a geology professor who spoke to local media. It’s unclear what caused the collapse, but recent rains and other climate concerns could be contributing factors.
The volume of the collapse is estimated to be about 150,000 cubic meters.
The collapse is the most notable and significant cliff collapse in 40 years, according to a geology professor who spoke to local media
Cliff collapse at Black’s Beach in La Jolla — a small coastal town just north of downtown San Diego — forced officials to close several hiking trails in the area.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, according to the San Diego Fire Department.
The video, captured by Phinney Cole, captures the moments when huge boulders and cliffs break off and tumble down the cliffs and onto the beach below.
Another angle of the collapse showed the fracture striking the beach from the front.
Witnesses told local media the force of the collapse was so severe that part of the beach was scratched and exploded upwards.
They also said it happened relatively slowly, giving beachgoers time to get out of the way during the collapse.
Overall, the collapse is estimated to be 250 feet wide and 25 feet high.
This is where the cliff collapse occurred in north San Diego on Friday afternoon
The volume of the collapse is estimated to be about 150,000 cubic meters
This is Black’s Beach where the cliff collapse happened on Friday afternoon
A geologist said the collapse is a continuation of a collapse that occurred at the exact same location almost 41 years ago to the day
“This is the largest landslide we’ve seen here in many years, but it’s actually a piece of an old landslide that didn’t finish sliding,” said geologist Pat Abbott, a professor at San Diego State University.
Abbott said he believes the collapse is a continuation of a collapse that occurred at the exact same location almost 41 years ago to the day.
He also said this is not the first cliff in the area to experience a major incident.
“Since 1995, we’ve had five sea cliff failures in San Diego County, each killing one to three people,” Abbott said.
Scroll down for a video of a collapse at Torrey Pines two years ago:
“This is the largest landslide we’ve seen here in many years,” said Pat Abbott, a geologist and professor at San Diego State University
The professor said the dips were most common from December to January and could be caused by a variety of issues affecting beaches and coastlines.
“High sea cliffs, waves eating at the bay, gravity constantly tugging at it, less sand on the beach in winter, highest tides — all of these things increase the likelihood of cliff breaks,” he said.
Recent rainfall in California, caused by a series of atmospheric flows, may also have played a role in the collapse.
It’s a fact that worries some local residents who live nearby and like to go to the beaches for fear of a repeat incident.
“It’s kind of worrying, I’m still afraid to go down there,” said a woman who spoke to NBC 7 about the collapse.
“It’s kind of worrying, I’m still afraid to go down there,” said a woman who spoke to NBC 7 about the collapse
The cliff collapse came just days after another frightening incident in the same area, when a vehicle went off the road and was dangling from a cliff.
The San Diego Fire Department was called to the scene
“Very crazy scene,” said Tyler Mitchell, a witness who works nearby.
Mitchell told Fox 5 San Diego he saw the whole thing and called it “nerve-wracking.”
“It was very concerning at first because you just want to know,” Mitchell said.
“I didn’t know how far it was from the edge, then I came down here and it was both front tires off. It was a lot more nerve wracking looking at that than up in my corner.’
A chief of the San Diego Fire and Rescue Team said crews worked quickly to extricate the passenger with the looming threat of high surf waves directly beneath the car.
The boss said the driver was lucky to end up where he landed and the situation could have ended very differently.
“Lucky the car ended up where it was,” Battalion Commander Dave Seneviratne told Fox 5.
The man in the car suffered minor injuries in the incident.