In a recent incident at Todd’s Point along the Pomo Bluffs in Fort Bragg, a segment of the bluff has collapsed, as confirmed by a City of Fort Bragg official.
John Smith, the Director of Public Works for Fort Bragg, was present at the site during the collapse. He cautioned both locals and tourists, attributing the event to the impact of recent rainstorms and intense surf along the shoreline.
Despite the collapse, Smith assured that the hiking trail itself remains unaffected. However, he emphasized that the incident has shifted the cliff’s edge closer to the walking path. For safety reasons, public works has cordoned off the affected area and urged the public to steer clear.
Smith used the opportunity to highlight the importance of caution, pointing out that warning signs along the edges of these steep bluffs serve as a reminder for visitors to avoid such areas due to the inherent instability of the ground beneath.
A photograph of the collapsed section, provided by Shannan Nicole, captures the aftermath looking eastward toward Fort Bragg’s Cliff House and the Noyo Bridge.
This incident echoes a recent study conducted by researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The study measured the rate at which California’s coastal cliffs, including those along the iconic Lost Coast bordering Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, are eroding into the Pacific. The findings underscore the alarming pace at which these cliffs are collapsing, surpassing the rates observed elsewhere in the Golden State.