Beachfront homes destroyed as California coastal erosion and El Nino cause historic flooding

But residents and experts wonder how much longer coastal living will be possible with rapid climate change.

“We like to live in these vulnerable places because they are beautiful,” Gallien said. “It comes down to what is the risk tolerance for a given property owner, a given community or a given municipality. Can engineers protect structures?”

This is one of the biggest questions that keeps officials, residents and experts up at night. Although the damage to California’s coastline is historic in nature, it is not necessarily unprecedented. Coastal erosion has caused flooding along the PCH during previous El Niño events, notably in the mid-1980s and late 1990s.

On the Long Beach Peninsula, more than a dozen homes collapsed into the ocean between Oct. 9 and 11 when the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel kicked up offshore waves up to 17 feet high. Eight structures including 13 homes were deemed too dangerous to enter.

Curtis said he loves waking up every morning to the soothing sound of the surf. Its front door opened onto a popular promenade filled with locals and visitors enjoying the stunning views.

When his apartment began to collapse, Curtis said he and his roommate rushed to push whatever they could toward the back of the building and into the garage, which remained dry and appeared more stable. He escaped by climbing through his bedroom window with his dog Lux and made it to the other side of the street, which faces the bay, and this time escaped damage.

A few days later, friends showed Curtis drone footage of his favorite couch floating in the ocean.

“It’s just a couch,” he said. “I feel really bad for the neighbors.”

Next door, a three-story single-family home sat empty this week. Its owners, a family of three, went on a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property. A giant crack snaked from the foundation to the roof, threatening to split the house in two.

Curtis said he told them to just enjoy their vacation. They couldn’t do anything.

The family could not be reached for comment.