`The ocean is in control'

Fairhaven view falls, officials urge residents to stay away

Last week, large chunks of a parking lot used since 2007 by beachgoers on Samoa collapsed. Beach access at the T, situated at the end of Bay Street outside of Fairhaven, is now been closed by Humboldt County Public Works. Public Works said the lot washed out the night of March 28 and was discovered the morning of March 29.

“Wave erosion took away the parking lot and exposed the pipeline from the old pulp mill. So we've got to go down and take asphalt off the beach,” said Tom Mattson, Humboldt County's director of public works.

The department moved boulders to block off the half-collapsed lot from cars and Mattson said signs will be posted soon to advise the public that all access is now closed at the site. He noted they've also shifted two mobile outhouses further from the edge.

“The problem is now to get to the beach. I mean, at some places you have a 14foot straight drop off,” said Leroy Zerlang on Monday.

He said that with the collapse, he was concerned about the fire risk from bonfires in the dunes and urged people to keep fires out of the dunes.

Now, officials say the area is not safe to visit.

“We do not recommend the public access or even stop to view at this point,” said Mattson, due to the unstable nature of the area.

Suzie Fortner, executive director of Friends of the Dunes, said dunes regularly erode during winter weather and build back up again during summer as part of their normal pattern. But this year it seems like dune erosion nearby is worse.

“We have had a lot more erosion this year than we have in the last five or so years,” she said.

She said that climate change spelled more extreme storm effects and this