Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order today at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach directing state agencies to prepare Highway 1 and surrounding coastal communities for potential El Niño storm damage. The order creates a Highway 1 Task Force to identify vulnerable sections of the highway and accelerate preventive work before storms arrive.
The task force, led by the California State Transportation Agency and California Natural Resources Agency, will recommend priority actions and funding needs to strengthen the corridor. Caltrans will prioritize landslide prevention where practicable, while State Parks will assess potential impacts on public access and park operations during closures and repairs.
Emergency project expenditures on the Big Sur Highway 1 corridor totaled approximately $312 million from 2020 through 2026, according to state records. "We know what repeated closures cost these communities, and we're putting state agencies to work now to reduce the danger before storms hit," Governor Newsom said in announcing the order.
El Niño conditions, which produce warmer ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific, can increase the frequency and intensity of storms affecting California. These storms can produce dangerous flooding, landslides, debris flows, and erosion—all hazards that threaten Highway 1. The executive order also addresses longer-term climate threats facing the highway beyond the current storm season.