Massive El Niño-fueled hurricane swells have been relentlessly battering the Southern California coastline this summer, amplifying a severe coastal erosion crisis that extends from Newport Beach’s Wedge down to Orange County’s southernmost borders.
But few locations have taken a beating as severe as the narrow stretch of sand in San Clemente, located just south of the iconic surf break at Cottons Point toward San Clemente State Beach.
Here, giant ocean swells combined with ultra-high tides are crashing directly into the coastal rail corridor, causing significant service delays for Metrolink and passenger trains. Check out the scenes of chaos here and below.
As sea levels rise and sand disappears, transportation agencies have routinely dumped thousands of tons of heavy boulders—known as riprap—along the shoreline to armor the tracks. However, local advocacy groups and environmentalists argue that hard armoring is destroying the very beaches and surf breaks it aims to defend.
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One vocal advocacy group, Bring Back Our Beaches, is raising alarm over the endless cycle of emergency rock placement. Addressing the worsening situation, the organization stated:
“None of this is a surprise. This stretch of railroad was identified as vulnerable more than twenty years ago. And yet here we are again, heading into another winter without the recurring nourishment program that would maintain that buffer. The riprap is doing what it can. But adding more rock without restoring the beach isn’t just failing to solve the problem. It’s making it worse — for the coast and for the very rail line it’s supposed to protect.”
Environmental advocates emphasize that dumping boulders reflects wave energy downward, accelerating beach erosion and stripping away sand. To demand sustainable long-term solutions—such as sand nourishment, living shorelines, and eventual rail relocation—Bring Back Our Beaches is calling on the community to take action.
The organization is inviting residents, surfers, and beachgoers to assemble at San Clemente City Hall on August 10th to “Stop the Madness” and push city leaders toward holistic coastal management before South County’s beaches disappear forever.
Learn more about Bring Back Our Beaches here.
Related: Historic SoCal Swell Rips Away Beaches and Topples Lifeguard Tower (Video)
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