WATCH: Pacifica Coastal Erosion Caught on Drone Video

Filmed January 23, 2016 around 10:45am PST.
Esplanade Ave. in Pacifica, California

[hugh_jasso]

Real estate agent 10 yrs ago: "its a great property a couple of blocks from the beach"
Real estate agent today: "its a beachfront property"

[theodoreroberge]

Whoa! I lived in these apartments on Esplanade Blvd back in 1962-63. I don't remember them being so close to the ocean! Dang! Mother Nature takes back her land.

[gordoncrowther]

It always astonishes me that people have known that the sea has eroded the land for millions of years, but they still build houses on cliff tops and then complain when they are washed away.

[lilyk]

At 1:28 I can see the apartment I lived in for 4 years. It's much closer to the edge of the cliff than it used to be. It was such a spectacular place to live, but we all knew that all those buildings were going to fall into the ocean one day.

[DanceswithDustBunnies]

The land is literally falling out from under the building next door and yet these eejits are calmly standing around...I'd have been long gone by then.

[sennadehond]

TheRichest: “Seaside homes that only cost 1$!”

[archsimpson]

My question is, why haven't the authorities not condemned these buildings? I saw people walking in and out of them on to the balconies.

[brittanym]

While watching this, I just can’t help but to imagine how absolutely stunning the land would be if there weren’t any buildings on it.

[bully]

Don’t worry the next row of houses will have a great view in a couple weeks!

[Willy_Tepes]

Coastal erosion is not a problem, it is completely normal. Building in such a place is insanity.

[DanielleWalcott]

Thanks for sharing this. My Fifth Grade students and I are currently studying erosion right now. I will definitely share this with them as well as the other Fifth Grade teachers!

[ruraledition]

What amazes me is that most of these apartments are still occupied. Gawd how could you sleep at night? This part of the landscape sits on the Ring of Fire, that threatens San Francisco with earthquakes. So as the plateau is being pushed up by plate tectonics that moves clockwise and submerges at the same time, the coastline stability is undermined and flakes apart. The ocean only helps it along. It would be happening anyway. I guess on a positive note, it means that there is not friction buildup due to resistance of movements with plate tectonic activity and therefore a huge earthquake of the magnitude experienced in San Francisco over one hundred years ago, is less likely to happen. Wow. Credit to the author for having captured it on camera. Phenomenal.

[speedspeed]

The people across the street will soon have water front property

[tullochgorum]

Nuts. Those houses look quite modern. What kind of developer builds so close to a cliff that's pretty much made of dirt? What kind of planning authority zones it? What kind of insurance company underwrites it? What kind of homeowner buys it? Everyone has taken leave of their senses...

And I've just realised - the houses aren't evacuated. Seems that the owners have a death-wish too!

[Dilligff]

How the hell were these people not evacuated when the ground literally started sliding out from under them?

[cabusman]

Esplanade Avenue in Pacifica. Those apartments 'on the edge' were vacated some time earlier and the ones still occupied shortly after this drone footage. All have since been torn down - nobody lost their lives.

[danunderwood]

This is what happens when people think they can ignore mother nature and do whatever they want. Like building on a delta and then wondering why it floods so bad. A little common sense would go a long way

[lohphat]

"Hey! Let's build on a cliff of semi-compacted alluvial soil instead of bedrock and see what happens!"

[sararestivo]

That's what I call living on the Edge!!!

[judithmarielivingston]

Calm and soothing just to listen to. It never ceases to amaze me how many times homes/businesses are demolished simply from the inevitable. Most people never learn. Plain to see that, just look at the people who are walking around right above the ground that is crumbling.