Staff Reports
Hurricane Marie didn’t even bother making landfall to hand California a wake‑up call. Powerful swells and higher tides chewed away a Malibu driveway until a massive sinkhole opened underneath it, forcing the City of Malibu to declare a local emergency and red‑tag dozens of homes. That dramatic collapse — and the evacuations, gas shutoffs and temporary shelters that followed — should make one thing crystal clear: our coastline is not a place to play politics with engineering and common sense.
What happened in Malibu, and why it matters
In Point Lechuza the ocean’s fury undermined Sea Level Drive and created a sinkhole roughly the size of a small house. Emergency crews ordered about 30 properties to evacuate, cut gas service to protect residents, and opened a shelter at Malibu High School. Lifeguards across Southern California were busy too — handing out thousands of safety warnings and performing nearly two hundred rescues as big surf and rip currents hit beaches. The National Weather Service warned of life‑threatening surf, and officials said this was exactly the kind of damage we can expect more of during a strong El Niño season.
Don’t let slogans beat sound policy
Here’s the blunt truth: California has poured money into coastal resiliency programs, but good intentions don’t fix a crumbling road or a jagged bluff. State budgets have set aside substantial funds for shoreline work, and federal grants exist to help — but red tape, slow permitting, and a one‑size‑fits‑all approach to “managed retreat” leave homeowners and cities stuck between rising seas and courtroom fights. When a neighborhood is suddenly cut off from emergency vehicles, we shouldn’t be debating who gets the environmental victory lap — we should be moving heavy equipment.
Armor, nourish, or retreat — the real tradeoffs
Some regulators reflexively oppose seawalls because they can hasten beach loss. That’s a legitimate concern for public access. But the alternative — telling people to abandon multi‑million‑dollar homes with no fair, fast program to buy or relocate them — is unfair and impractical. We need a toolbox that includes smart armoring where appropriate, beach nourishment when it helps, and targeted buyouts when it’s the only safe choice. The trick is doing it fast, transparently, and with respect for property rights and public safety. Fancy reports and glossy plans don’t stop sinkholes; bulldozers do — when they’re allowed to work.
Marie’s surf was a warning shot, not a policy paper. If state and local leaders want to protect people and property, they must streamline permitting, fund emergency hardening projects, and set clear criteria for buyouts so homeowners aren’t left in limbo. Conserving beaches and protecting communities aren’t mutually exclusive, but they do require honesty about tradeoffs. The ocean will keep changing the map; what we can change is how fast we react. Let’s be practical, keep people safe, and stop letting ideology get in the way of emergency response.
