Message from Alert Monterey County:

The National Weather Service has issued a Tsunami Advisory for the California coast following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake near the Kamchatka region.

Tsunami is expected to reach the Monterey County coastline at 12:15 AM on July 30, 2025. Impact is to be determined.

Avoid water and beach at this time.

We will continue to provide updated information. For more information, visit: https://tsunami.gov/

The Weather Channel®

Updated at 5:19 PM PDT. ⚠️ The National Weather Service has issued a Tsunami Watch on Jul 29 for Santa Lucia Mountains. ….A TSUNAMI WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE CAL./MEXICO BORDER TO CHIGNIK BAY ALASKA… If you are located in this coastal area, stay alert for further updates. Tsunami watches are an advance notice to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami at a later time. Watch areas may be upgraded to a warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information. At 425 PM Pacific Daylight Time on July 29 an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.7 occurred 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk Kamchatka. Estimated tsunami start times for selected sites are; Kodiak Alaska 820 PM. AKDT. July 29. Seward Alaska 845 PM. AKDT. July 29. Elfin Cove Alaska 850 PM. AKDT. July 29. Yakutat Alaska 855 PM. AKDT. July 29. Sitka Alaska 855 PM. AKDT. July 29. Langara British Columbia 1005 PM. PDT. July 29. Valdez Alaska 905 PM. AKDT. July 29. Cordova Alaska 915 PM. AKDT. July 29. Homer Alaska 940 PM. AKDT. July 29. Craig Alaska 955 PM. AKDT. July 29. Tofino British Columbia 1130 PM. PDT. July 29. La Push Washington 1135 PM. PDT. July 29. Neah Bay Washington 1140 PM. PDT. July 29. Port Orford Oregon 1140 PM. PDT. July 29. Long Beach Washington 1145 PM. PDT. July 29. Charleston Oregon 1145 PM. PDT. July 29. Brookings Oregon 1150 PM. PDT. July 29. Fort Bragg California 1150 PM. PDT. July 29. Moclips Washington 1150 PM. PDT. July 29. Westport Washington 1155 PM. PDT. July 29. Seaside Oregon 1155 PM. PDT. July 29. Newport Oregon 1155 PM. PDT. July 29. Crescent City California 1155 PM. PDT. July 29. Monterey California 1215 AM. PDT. July 30. Port Angeles Washington 1220 AM. PDT. July 30. Port San Luis California 1235 AM. PDT. July 30.San Francisco California 1240 AM. PDT. July 30. Port Townsend Washington 1245 AM. PDT. July 30. Santa Barbara California 1250 AM. PDT. July 30. Los Angeles Harbor California 105 AM. PDT. July 30. Newport Beach California 110 AM. PDT. July 30. Bellingham Washington 110 AM. PDT. July 30. Oceanside California 115 AM. PDT. July 30. La Jolla California 115 AM. PDT. July 30. The tsunami watch will remain in effect until further notice. Refer to the internet site tsunami.gov for more infor

IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE LCP Amendment No. LCP-3-MCO-24-0039-1 (Vacation Rentals)  Public hearing and potential action on request by Monterey County to add new LCP Implementation Plan (IP) Section 20.64.290 and make other conforming IP changes to regulate vacation rentals in the County’s coastal zone.(KB-SC) HEARING DATE AND LOCATION: ITEM NO: W15a DATE: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 TIME: Meeting Begins at 9:00 AMPLACE: King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Dr., Calabasas, CA 91302 If you would like to submit comments or participate at the hearing, please see the Commission’s hearing procedures If you would like to sign up to speak for this item at the hearing in-person or via Zoom, please fill out the testimony request form on the agenda page.Questions? Questions regarding this agenda item and/or this hearing should be directed to Katie Butler in the Commission’s Central Coast District office (at 725 Front Street, Suite 300, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 831-427-4863) or to  CentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov

View Hearing Notice

Go to Hearing Agenda

Monterey County LCP Amendment Number LCP-3-MCO-24-0039-1 (Vacation

Rentals). Public hearing and potential action on request by Monterey County to add

new LCP Implementation Plan (IP) Section 20.64.290 and make other conforming IP

changes to regulate vacation rentals in the County’s coastal zone.

The hearing will take place on August 13, 2025. The Commission will hold a

series of hearings this day starting at 9am and will move through each agenda item in

order. This matter is on the agenda as item number 15a on Wednesday, August 13,

2025.

Staff report and staff recommendation. A copy of the staff report (with the staff

recommendation) for this matter is available at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html (click

on the Wednesday tab and scroll down to agenda item 15a).

IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL BE A HYBRID MEETING, WITH

BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON PARTICIPATION ALLOWED.

How to provide testimony at this hearing. Please see the Coastal Commission’s

Hybrid Hearing Procedures posted on the Coastal Commission’s webpage

at http://www.coastal.ca.gov for details on the procedures of this hearing. If you would like to

receive a paper copy of the Coastal Commission’s Hybrid Hearing Procedures, please

call 415-904-5202. The in-person portion of the meeting will be held at King Gillette

Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Hwy., Calabasas, CA 91302.

How to provide written comments for this hearing. To submit written materials

for review by the Commission, either email (via CentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov) or

submit such materials to Commission staff no later than 5pm on the Friday before the

hearing (and staff will then distribute your materials to the Commission). Note that

such materials received after this time will not be distributed to the Commission.

Alternatively, you may also submit such materials directly to the Commissioners (a

current list of Commissioner names and email addresses is available from

Commission staff or from the Commission’s website) as long as such materials are

submitted to all Commissioners, all alternates for Commissioners, the three non-voting

members of the Commission, and Commission staff. You are requested to summarize

the reasons for your position in no more than two or three pages, if possible.

Questions? Questions regarding this agenda item and/or this hearing should be

directed to Katie Butler in the Commission’s Central Coast District office (at 725 Front

Street, Suite 300, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 831-427-4863) or to

Katie.Butler@coastal.ca.gov.

This photo has not been changed, enhanced or otherwise manipulated with the exception of adding a frame. Taken out my back door a few days ago. The fog came all the way up for just a moment — long enough to capture this.

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THE

PINE RIDGE TRAILHEAD AT BIG SUR STATION

Volunteers with the Ventana Wilderness Alliance (VWA) greet backpackers at the Pine Ridge Trailhead adjacent to the Big Sur Station parking lot.  The Trailhead Ambassador Program (TAP) is in place to make visitors feel welcome to the wilderness and answer questions but also to educate them on fire safety and Leave No Trace Practices without lecturing.  This program is a partnership with the VWA and USFS.

VWA is currently looking for volunteers that would like to participate in the program.  Volunteers would pick up supplies at Big Sur Station and set up at the trailhead.  Best days would be Saturday mornings, but other days could work.  Hours can vary, but preferably between 8 and 9AM to start and end the shift between 1 and 2 PM.  You would work alongside of a volunteer Wilderness Ranger until comfortable working alone or together with another volunteer.

If interested, please contact Barbara Ray at Barbaraannray46@gmail.com or VWA at vwa@ventanawild.org

Date:	Thursday, July 24, 2025
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Celeste Morales or Kevin Drabinski
Phone:	(805) 549-3237 or (805) 549-3138

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #5

FULL SCALE EXCAVATION RESUMES AT REGENT’S SLIDE 

MONTEREY COUNTY – Crews are continuing with repairs to Regent’s Slide, which closed Highway 1 on February 9, 2024.

Crews at Regent’s Slide resumed full-scale excavation activities in mid-July following the installation of 2,000 shear dowels, which have been drilled and grouted into the cut slope, above the active work area, to stabilize slope movement identified in late-April.

An array of monitoring equipment has confirmed that the shear dowels are having the intended effect of mitigating further slide activity. As the top-down excavation advances, crews will continue to install shear dowels in the cut slope behind them, providing immediate and long-term reinforcement of the slope. To date, the installation of 2,000 shear dowels has included almost 23 miles of steel and 900 tons of cement.

Excavation work is continuing with the combined use of both conventional and remote-controlled equipment. The remote-controlled equipment, including two large bulldozers and one excavator, remain an integral component to the advancement of excavation and removal of slide material. Crews continue to work seven days a week and extended hours on these repair efforts.

With the resumption of full-scale excavation work, Caltrans will be in a position to provide an updated estimate on the full reopening of Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide in mid-September.

Big Sur Coast Remains Accessible and Open

Visitors can access more than 100 miles of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel, except for the 6.8-mile segment one mile south of the Esalen Institute to two miles north of Lucia.

Travelers from Northern California can still access historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities along the Big Sur coast. Travelers from Southern California can reach the endearing communities of Lucia, Gorda, Treebones, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria via Highway 1.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

For more information about transportation projects and funding, visit: Build.ca.gov.

Date:	Wednesday July 23, 2025
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Celeste Morales or Kevin Drabinski
Phone:	(805) 549-3237

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH OF CARMEL

SCHEDULED FOR JULY 27

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans will implement a full overnight closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek, approximately 12 miles south of Carmel, on Sunday, July 27, to accommodate emergency repairs to a seawall beneath the highway.

The closure will begin at 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 27, and the highway is scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. on Monday, July 28.

This work is part of an emergency project to reconstruct and reinforce the seawall that protects the south end of the Rocky Creek Bridge and the slope beneath the recently constructed viaduct. The repairs will enhance the seawall’s ability to withstand wave action and prevent further erosion.

During the full closure, crews will deploy a crane that will straddle both lanes; no through traffic will be allowed during the work window. Travelers are advised to plan and avoid the area during closure hours.

Big Sur Remains Accessible and Open

Travelers are reminded that over 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remain open and accessible. Travelers from northern California will find easy access to historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities.

Travelers from southern California will find that the highway brings them directly within reach of the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders of Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

There is some good aerial footage provided by Caltrans on this news report by Felix Cortez of KSBW: https://www.ksbw.com/article/highway-1-reopening-brings-big-sur-businesses/65452677

For a similar report from KSBY in San Luis Obispo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRzXJfKk9C4

This is a good summary of the meeting Caltrans had with local business owners as summarized by Kirk Gafill:

Secretary Omishakin announced that Caltrans anticipates being able to provide a timeline/time frame for re-opening the highway by mid-September of this year.  Further, the Secretary made absolutely clear that the state and governor were “all in” on clearing this slide and re-opening the highway safely and at the earliest opportunity.  This commitment was something that the Secretary was informed had not been clearly reflected in the media or in public statements by the state and he and VisitCA team appeared to appreciate importance of including that critical commitment in outreach going forward to hopefully offset the persistent negative publicity by the national and regional media that often has raised issue of whether it is worth re-opening the highway or was keeping it open sustainable.

Safety was a key topic repeatedly referenced throughout all of the briefing and subsequent discussions generally and specific to this project due to the unique and complex site conditions that require line of sight visibility for spotters each working period (goal is to be working every daylight hour as conditions permit), in conjunction with drone, and remote sensor monitoring for slide movement.  Thus, coastal fog has been a delaying factor in this phase of the project, though yesterday’s weather was clear.

The mid-September update is based on estimated time to bring current work area 100′ down the slide face to the level of the rocky outcropping where the original work area was for the original lower slide last August.  Once at rocky outcropping, Caltrans team expressed confidence that they will then be working in a geological formation that they are very familiar with and once they are successful in clearing that formation, they then have 350′ further to get down to the highway level.  This last 350′ though is anticipated to be a “scaling” operation rather than a major excavation operation, which should allow for a faster completion rate and metal netting will be draped and affixed to the slide face from the rocky outcropping section down to the highway level to protect workers below and future rock/material impacts on the highway after re-opening (there are numerous examples on the Big Sur Coast and this has proved to be a successful preventative effort on other slide areas, such as Alder Springs).

Excavation has resumed for the first time in approx. 2 months.

Shear dowels to stabilize slope above work area strategy is working well and has essentially been completed down to current work level and will continue concurrently with excavation.  Based on descriptions of the past challenges of having to pull workers and equipment off the slide due to variable and persistent upper slide activity (sometimes as a result of the work involved to clear the slide), this comprehensive approach of installing shear dowels appears to be very successful in stabilizing slopes above work areas.

Contractor lead who has significant experience on multiple Big Sur coastal slide and highway repair projects and on-site Caltrans engineers were optimistic that once they got to highway level (150` above sea level), that there was a reasonably good chance, based on past slides, that highway road bed could be in good shape and that repaving/re-opening highway at that point could be done quickly (i.e. within a week per contractor).

Clearly, based on the past experience with this slide it is  premature to be unduly optimistic or to project with any confidence a re-opening time right now, but I found that in speaking with many of the geotech and engineering leads a high level of confidence that the shear dowel strategy is proving itself and that this project can now move forward (keep fingers crossed for limited fog this summer)  with hopefully far fewer and more limited non-weather related delays.

And from the History Channel, the history of the construction of Highway One, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRzXJfKk9C4. Some fascinating original black and white photos of the building of the road.

• Originally, I had written Mid-August per the KSBW, Felix Cortez’ story, but what Caltrans actually said was Mid-September, and so I changed it to avoid confusion. He also said he did not see it opening in the foreseeable future.