Clifftop hikers always need to be wary if they don’t want to do some unexpected and fatal cliff diving, but we thought we’d highlight this footage of part of the Fleener Creek Trailhead in California crumbling a few days ago.
Landslides have been happening sporadically for a few weeks now at Centerville Beach near Ferndale in Humboldt County, and the trail was first closed on January 18 as significant winter storms hit the state.
This particular slide was caught at the perfect moment with some glorious drone photography courtesy of Double B UAV, and around 25 seconds into the video below you can see two onlookers in the parking lot hastily retreating to safety as more of the cliff face crumbled. It’s almost like something out of a Roland Emmerich disaster movie.
“Fleener Creek parking lot gave away to mother nature last night and a good portion of it is now in the ocean. It is unsafe to use the parking lot at this time or to even walk in it," Humboldt County 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn said on Facebook. “This is not an invitation to go look. It is a dangerous situation.”
The area is currently closed to the public and being patrolled by sheriff's deputies and Ferndale police.
During the massive winter storm that hit in early February, another clifftop in Dana Point gave way, leaving two multimillion dollar mansions teetering over the edge of the Pacific. Meanwhile another big storm is expected to hit parts of California later this week.
Here are some before and after shots, also courtesy of Double B UAV.
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