Thread: Multimillion-dollar Malibu homes are mercilessly battered by huge waves

Celebrities and billionaires left powerless as their multimillion-dollar Malibu homes are mercilessly battered by huge waves

• Rising sea levels and beach erosion mean the rich and famous who live along the exclusive beach are powerless
• High tides threaten to erode the foundations of the luxury homes along the coast
• Across the coast millions has been spent on a sea wall and sand bag defenses

By JILL REILLY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:52 EST, 12 September 2014 | UPDATED: 20:40 EST, 12 September 2014

The rich and famous are well-seasoned in dodging the lurking paparazzi in their Malibu haven.

But as these pictures prove, they are currently contending with a bigger threat in their exclusive gated community - their multimillion-dollar homes are getting battered by huge waves which are spilling over into their seaside showplaces.

The erosion of the beach means the celebrities and billionaires who live along the exclusive beach stretch of Malibu Colony are powerless to protect their guarded houses from the forces of nature.

As these photos powerful waves have smashed through glass panels, pulled down fences and destroyed many beach side balconies which are owned by some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the United States.

In recent years, winter storms and rising high tides have reduced the size of the famously long and impressive beach and now the high tides threaten to erode the foundations of the homes along the coast - despite millions already having been spent on a sea wall further along the coast and sand bag defenses.



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The rich and famous are well-seasoned in dodging the lurking paparazzi in their Malibu haven. But as these pictures prove, they are currently contending with a different type of problem - their multimillion-dollar homes are getting battered by huge waves spilling over into the the back of their seaside showplaces



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Rising sea levels and beach erosion mean the celebrities and billionaires who live along the exclusive stretch of beach are powerless to protect their guarded, gated houses from the forces of nature



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As these photos powerful waves have smashed through glass panels, pulled down fences and destroyed many beach side balconies which are owned by some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the United States

Last year it was revealed that Hollywood mega-stars Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Goldie Hawn and one-time James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, face losing their exclusive multi-million dollar beach-front homes along Broad Beach unless a $20 million scheme to cure the erosion of the shoreline is approved.

Homeowners along Broad Beach are struggling to see a future for their properties unless the opposition to a complicated approval process to dredge sand from elsewhere and dump it to restore the 1.1 mile beachfront is given the green light.

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Waves sometimes lap up to an 8-foot-high 4,100-foot-long emergency rock wall that state regulators allowed homeowners to build about three years ago to protect dozens of multimillion-dollar homes.



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In recent years, winter storms and rising high tides have reduced the size of the famously long and impressive beach and now the high tides threaten to erode the foundations of the homes along the coast - despite millions already having already been spent on a sea wall and sand bag defenses



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Last year it was revealed that Hollywood mega-stars Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Goldie Hawn and one-time James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, face losing their exclusive multi-million dollar beach-front homes along Broad Beach unless a $20 million scheme to cure the erosion of the shoreline is approved



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Homeowners along the celebrity haven of Broad Beach are struggling to see a future for their properties unless the opposition to a complicated approval process to dredge sand from elsewhere and dump it to restore the 1.1 mile beachfront is given the green light



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Steve Levitan, co-creator of the TV series 'Modern Family,' recalled taking family strolls on the beach when it was 140-foot wide, but said he now plans walks to avoid high tide



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This satellite image shows the clear stretch of beach when the tide is not in with the waves battering the homes. The road has about 100 homes. One of the homes (which is twelfth from the left) was bought in 2007 for $13.8 million - it is owned by film producer Michael LaFetra. Last year Inception star Leonardo DiCaprio sold his beachfront Malibu house for $17.35 million

'The (wall) is perilously close to certain homes,' said Kenneth A. Ehrlich, an attorney for the homeowners.

'The homes are certainly in danger. ...There's no beach right now that anyone can enjoy.'

MALIBU COLONY: A MILE STRETCH OF BEACHFRONT PROPERTY

For over eight decades the rich and famous have been attracted to this beachfront haven.

Colonyites' (as they call themselves) have included:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hanks
Jim Carrey
Linda Ronstadt
Larry Hagman
Cicely Tyson
Bruce Dern
Mel Brooks
Tatum O'Neal
Sting
Bill Murray
Roma Downey

Steve Levitan, co-creator of the TV series 'Modern Family,' recalled taking family strolls on the beach when it was 140-foot wide, but said he now plans walks to avoid high tide.

With the reduced footage, 'surfers can't get out to the good surf spots, and the homeowners can't get there, either,' he said.

Residents are proposing a $20 million project to dredge tons of sand and transplant it to restore the dunes and shoreline, both public and private.

Manhattan Beach blocked plans to use its sand, and residents now are considering using sea-bottom sand from Dockweiler Beach in Los Angeles.

However, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors has objected, saying the sand might be needed to restore other public beaches as sea levels rise.

For years, Broad Beach was the subject of feuding between homeowners and the public over access.

At one point, security guards were hired to patrol the beach, and sunbathers contended they were harassed.

In 2005, 108 property owners took tons of sand from the public beach and packed it up into a berm on their property.

The work was ordered halted by the California Coastal Commission.

When the commission permitted residents to build the $4 million wall, it ordered residents to come up with a stabilization plan that must take effect by 2015.

Homeowners said they have spent about $5 million so far for scientific studies and regulatory approvals but they have not yet completed a formal proposal for the coastal and state lands commissions.



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Waves sometimes lap up to an 8-foot-high 4,100-foot-long emergency rock wall that state regulators allowed homeowners to build about three years ago to protect dozens of multimillion-dollar homes



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The huge waves bring a danger that means that the back of the luxury homes are now a no-go area for the residents



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Where there once was a sprawling beach, ocean waves now threaten the homes of some of the richest people in the United States



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A satellite image of the beach when the waters are calm and the beach is visible. The curved house pictured is John Lautner's Stevens' House which was built in 1968

'We have faced a bureaucratic nightmare in attempting to accomplish this project,' said Marshall Grossman, a lawyer with a retreat on Broad Beach.

'One would think we were attempting to build high-rise condos on a public beach.'

Even if Broad Beach residents get their sand, such erosion-fighting measures are going to remain an issue in the future.

'As sea level rises, it's only going to get more challenging to figure how to deal with that,' said Charles Lester, the coastal commission's executive director.
Huge waves batter the California coastline


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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3DA800KUj

Malibu Pier Remains Closed, Cove House Collapses Due To High Surf

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — Malibu Pier remained closed Wednesday after the popular attraction sustained damage from high surf which is expect to last through the week.

Swells, with waves as high as 15 feet, continued to bring multiple surfers out and forced officials to shut down the pier around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday because it wasn’t safe for people to stand on.

KNX 1070’s Margaret Carrero reports state parks officials said 10 of the pier’s 297 pilings were also broken by the waves.

Malibu Pier Remains Closed Due To High Surf

Just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, KCAL9’s Stu Mundel captured the Cove House on video as it buckled into the ocean. The structure took a beating from the waves over the past 24 hours.

KCAL9’s Bobby Kaple spoke with several lifeguards and residents who watched the high surf from the guard station before it collapsed.
For many, the guard house near Sycamore Canyon served as a spot that lifeguards referred to as home for several decades.

Norm Chapman, a retired lifeguard, told Kaple he worked out of the Cove House every day since 1980.

“A lot of lifeguards have put a lot of time into it over the years; it’s sad,” Chapman said. “It’s hard not to get choked up; I’ve been here 35 years.”

A surfer in his 40s died Tuesday at a hospital after he was rescued by Los Angeles County Lifeguards at nearby Surfrider Beach.

KCAL9’s Amy Johnson spoke with LA County Fire Lifeguard Capt. Dan Murphy Wednesday afternoon about conditions at the pier.

“Conditions are dangerous; we have big surf,” Murphy said. “It’s dangerous even for the experts.”

The natural spectacle has drawn hundreds to the beach to catch a glimpse or a ride on one of the waves, leading Los Angeles County Fire officials to increase lifeguard patrols for Wednesday with extra personnel, watercraft and boats.

“We are concerned, we brought a crew on early this morning, we will have a personal watercraft patrolling the area,” said Murphy.

The large waves have caused problems even for those considered to be seasoned surfers. For some, injuries occurred, while others managed to get by with only a broken surf board.

“I tried to go through the pier and didn’t make it all the way,” surfer Angelo Gulotti said. “It got bounced up into the houses.”

“You can get pummeled,” said surfer Ricardo Duffy. “The wave I got caught inside of, that’s where I got my hamstring ripped.”

The pier is expected to remain closed through Friday evening when a high-surf advisory expires.

“This is Super Bowl conditions, ” Murphy said. “You don’t put a high school varsity player out here. This is for the experts, and it’s tough for them.”

According to authorities, more than 250 people have been rescued by lifeguards since Tuesday.

“It takes you off your feet,” said Dave Peters, a swimmer who was rescued from the high surf earlier Wednesday. “It’s not a very graceful landing, you gotta let it wash you in.”

Officials have also closed nearby beaches in Rancho Palos Verdes, including Portuguese Point, Sacred Cove and Inspiration Point.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/...-to-high-surf/