Many Americans surely dream of owning a stunning oceanfront property with panoramic views of the California coastline.
But for the residents of Pacifica, San Mateo, that dream is becoming a nightmare as extreme storms decimate the cliffs these million-dollar properties sit on – leaving them at risk of crumbling into the ocean.
Now, owners are being forced to move.
It is a problem facing homeowners in coastal areas all across the US. Large swathes of the country have been hit with record flooding and tornadic storms in recent weeks, with images of homes submerged in water plastered across the news.
Those by the sea, however, face a longer-term and more sinister threat of coastal erosion which is already ripping apart the very foundation their homes are built on.
It means many properties are uninsurable while facing the very real prospect they could soon be underwater. Now, owners are looking to move.
People stand along the shore to watch massive waves as high surf and coastal flood warning have been issued, in Pacifica California. Residents in the area complain they are being forced out by coastal erosion
Extreme storms this winter have decimated the cliffs many coastal homes sit on- meaning they are at risk of crumbling into the ocean in just a matter of years. Pictured: Pacifica, California in January 2024
Footage shows homes in Narragansett, Rhode Island, on the brink of collapse following two back-to-back storms
Pacifica resident Joan Levin says the issue has forced her to move out of her home of 45 years. Properties in the area are currently worth $1,129,444, according to data from Redfin.
‘It was shocking to me to see the significant amount of Earth that fell into the ocean,’ Levin told ABC7 after one incident of flooding last month. ‘There would be huge clumps, up to five feet. That’s a lot of feet.’
A 2018 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists said more than 300,000 American homes, with a collective value of nearly $120 billion, are at risk of ‘chronic inundation’ by water within 27 years.
It is little wonder then that residents in the beachside town of Wells, Maine, are also panicking.
The state has been particularly hard-hit by flooding this January with a record 14.57-foot high tide measured in parts and many citizens evacuated.
A Facebook account belonging to the Town of Wells, Maine, wrote: ‘In the aftermath of the recent devastating storm that swept through our coastal community, we are immensely grateful for the resilience and understanding displayed by our residents.
Experts say beachfront properties are threatened by a perfect storm of increased cliff erosion, rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Pictured: homes on the coastline in Narragansett, Rhode Island
A report published last year by the National Ocean Service said sea levels around the country will rise by 10 to 12 inches on average by 2050, primarily due to climate change. Pictured: homes along the Rhode Island coastline
Maine was particularly hard-hit by flooding in January with a record 14.57-foot high tide measured in some parts and many citizens evacuated. Pictured: the beachside town of Wells, Maine this month
A Facebook account belonging to the Town of Wells, Maine, wrote: ‘In the aftermath of the recent devastating storm that swept through our coastal community, we are immensely grateful for the resilience and understanding displayed by our residents.’ Pictured: the coastline in Wells, Maine on January 10
Extreme climate events caused upwards of $92.9 billion in damage in 2023, figures from the National Centers for Environmental Information show. Pictured: Wells, Maine in January
Large swathes of the country have been hit with record flooding and tornadic storms in recent weeks, with images of homes submerged in water plastered across the news. Pictured: Wells, Maine after severe flooding
‘The challenges posed by coastal flooding have left their mark, but your cooperation, and the dedication of our municipal employees shines through.’
Meanwhile Narragansett, Rhode Island, was hit by back-to-back storms earlier this month. Video footage shows homes on the town’s Roger Wheeler Beach on the verge of collapse.
Experts say beachfront properties are threatened by a perfect storm of increased cliff erosion, rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
A report published last year by the National Ocean Service said sea levels around the country will rise by 10 to 12 inches on average by 2050, primarily due to climate change.
The numbers might seem small, but every inch raises the risk of devastating flooding in coastal areas as well as exacerbating erosion.
Homes in Narragansett, Rhode Island, pictured, were hit by two back-to-back storms last week
Every inch by which sea levels rise increases the risk of devastating flooding in coastal areas. Pictured: a crumbling cliff edge in Narragansett, Rhode Island
The Federal Emergency Management Agency can pay owners to leave flood prone properties but they only qualify if they fell victim to a presidentially-declared disaster operates a similar program which pays owners to leave flood-prone properties
Compounding the problem is the fact that many insurance policies will not cover damage incurred from erosion.
Extreme climate events caused upwards of $92.9 billion in damage in 2023, figures from the National Centers for Environmental Information show.
But standard policies will have specific ‘named exclusions’ such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes and earth movement. The latter is the category under which erosion falls.
Owners must also take out flood insurance separately which again does not cover cliff erosion. The average cost of flood insurance for those in a ‘high risk’ area is $1,607 a year, according to analysis by PolicyGenius.
Politicians have attempted to find a solution to the problem. In 2021, California officials floated the idea of buying back coastal properties from their owners and renting them out until they’re too dangerous to live in.
A photo released by the Nantucket Natural Resources Department shows properties sitting precariously on eroded cliffs
A group of homeowners in Nantucket recently lost a battle to keep a self-funded ‘shield’ they erected to keep homes safe from the sea. Pictured: a flooded home on the island
The island, located near Cape Cod, was also hit hard by recent coastal flooding
And the Federal Emergency Management Agency already operates a similar program which pays residents to leave flood-prone properties.
However Americans only qualify if their home fell victim to a presidentially declared disaster.
Some residents are beginning to fight back. On the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, a group of wealthy homeowners attempted to take the issue into their own hands by erecting a huge ‘shield’ of plastic fiber tubes filled with hardening sand slurry.
The barrier stretched across 900 feet of the beach to protect properties from the water. But the privately funded project, which began 10 years ago and is thought to have cost $10 million, ignited a bitter rift in the community with conservations claiming it could impede the beach’s natural erosion project.
This month, the group agreed to dismantle the project after an order from town officials.