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ClimateQuiet 10d · day 10

Humboldt County abandons road repair, opts for managed retreat ahead of El Niño

Officials ditch a $3.8M fix for eroding Centerville Road, choosing instead to relocate it inland as coastal erosion accelerates.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 7d ago4 pieces MastodonNewswires

What to know

  • Humboldt County abandoned a $3.8M repair project for Centerville Road, choosing managed retreat—relocating the road inland—after determining erosion is too severe to save it.
  • The decision reflects a broader climate adaptation challenge facing California's 840-mile coastline as rising seas and intensifying storms threaten infrastructure.
  • Private landowners are resisting the managed retreat plan, citing poor communication, loss of federal and state funding already secured for repairs, and uncertainty over timeline and financing for relocation.

“concerned about the proposal to drop a shovel-ready project for which the county had already secured federal and state disaster funding in favor of pursuing road realignment with no clear timeline or funding.”

Lorraine Pedrotti, Property owner · LA Times ↗

Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Local government bodySteve Madrone Humboldt County SupervisorLorraine Pedrotti Property owner south of Centerville BeachGeorge Brown Property owner near Centerville RoadCalifornia Coastal Commission State regulatory body

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 3h at Oct 29, 2 PM; 4 pieces over 10 days (2 articles · 2 posts) Oct 29, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 29, 2 PM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Oct 29, 5 PM — quietOct 29, 8 PM — quietOct 29, 11 PM — quietOct 30, 2 AM — quietOct 30, 5 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — quietOct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quiet 1
Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 9:59 AM ET
  1. 1

    Landowners oppose managed retreat, cite poor communication and lost funding

    Property owners including Lorraine Pedrotti and George Brown raised concerns about the plan to relocate the road. Pedrotti said the county lacked transparency and questioned abandoning a shovel-ready project with secured federal and state disaster funding for a realignment with unclear timeline and financing.

    “I realize there's a need to [have] a long-term solution, but in the meantime, dealing with a sometimes unpassable road for years is not acceptable.”
    — Lorraine Pedrotti
    1. 2 outlets California county abandons repair plans for crumbling coastal road ahead of El Niño-fueled winter

      first by LA Times, 9d ago · also LA Times California

    • shonin@c.im

      California county may abandon repairs, let coastal road disappear https://www. sfchronicle.com/california/art icle/humboldt-abandon-coastal-road-repairs-erosion-22497589.php

      shonin@c.imMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously votes to abandon repair project — With a "super" El Niño approaching, supervisors abandoned the $3.8 million repair plan, determining that cliffs and bluffs are eroding so rapidly that the road could slide into the Pacific. They instead directed staff to develop a managed retreat plan to relocate the road inland.

  3. background

    California Coastal Commission approves road repair with conditions — The commission granted permission for the county to raise and repair the road west of Ferndale, with construction expected to start in early 2027.

  4. background

    Humboldt County proposes elevation and revetment for Centerville Road — The Humboldt County Department of Public Works pitched a solution to the California Coastal Commission: elevate a 0.17-mile segment of Centerville Road by 10 feet and build a revetment to protect it from surf.