California faces loss of up to 70% of beaches as sea levels rise

California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment projects that sea-level rise could eliminate between 30 and 70 percent of Southern California’s beaches over the coming decades, while nearly half of the region’s beach cliffs may recede 30 to 80 feet by the end of the century. A 1.6-foot increase in water levels by 2060 would make coastal zones like Santa Monica, Venice and Redondo especially vulnerable to floods, exposing an estimated 15,000 residents in Los Angeles County.

The report also foresees average temperatures climbing 4 °F and heat waves lasting 50 % longer, with inland areas such as San Bernardino seeing up to 120 days above 95 °F per year. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is expected to shrink by about 40 % by mid-century, reducing water imports for Los Angeles by 7 to 13 %. Wildfire acreage could rise 50 % without changes to land management, and vulnerable low-income communities of color are likely to bear the brunt of these impacts. Abby Edwards, senior deputy director for the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, urged the findings to spur stronger mitigation and adaptation actions.