Storms made the Avila Pier unsafe to fully walk in 2015. Now, with an El Niño on the way and a Governor's state of emergency declared for California, the clock is ticking even faster.
The fence keeping visitors from reaching the end of the Avila Pier has moved closer to shore because the Port San Luis Harbor District is preparing for change. They need the extra space for construction equipment expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Ron Pigeon, treasurer of the Friends of Avila Pier, says the Harbor District is racing to protect the pier before winter storms arrive.
“The Harbor District staff is working to shore up some of the pier with just temporary bracing until they can get out to the, the part that's really most damaged, which is farther out at the end," Pigeon said.
With Governor Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency Monday in anticipation of what forecasters say could be a historic El Niño season and the Harbor District designating the pier under emergency status, the harbor district’s Facilities Manager Dustin Barth said construction to help prepare the pier for the winter is set to begin in the next two to three weeks.
KSBY Daybreak Meteorologist Vivian Rennie said the sea surface temperatures associated with a regular El Niño are heading toward values higher than ever seen before.
“When we get into this kind of situation, it's tricky because we just don't have data for what this could mean," Rennie said. "When we look at previous really strong El Niños, we're looking at more rain, we're looking at more flooding risk and more coastal erosion, plus more winds and waves associated with those large-scale storms.”
Rennie said El Niño storms between October and January could do some damage.
John Crews, a Morro Bay resident, said he’s seen storms destroy local piers.
“When we look at damage to piers and things like that, a lot of the times it's kind of a two-part risk," Rennie said. "We have the actual waves that are kind of shaking the pier, but also with higher energy in those waves, it can kind of erode the bottom of the ocean. With the kind of base of those pier pylons being damaged, you can actually see damage going all the way under some of those pylons and they kind of shake out of place.”
Barth said they’re working as fast as they can to complete temporary structural improvements before winter comes and they have to stop work for the season.
“It's just been out of service for such a long time that I'm just hopeful they'll get it going real soon," Crews said.
