California experienced significant coastal damage during the winter of January and February 1978. A combination of high astronomical tides, strong onshore winds, high storm waves, and excessive rainfall produced an aggravated erosional condition. This report documents the causes and results of the dynamic conditions which led to the storm damage along the California coastline. Also included, as an appendix, is a section of a report by the California Coastal Commission summarizing the cost analysis of damage along coastal California. (Author).

"The goal of The Changing California Coast is to provide perspective on the realities of living on the California coast, its challenges and issues, and the nitty gritty of what to consider before buying or building a house. The book achieves this aim by providing a tutorial on the potential hazards of coastal living, and systematically covering the coast from border to border. A must read for anyone whose idea of the coast is based on too many episodes of Baywatch."--Paul D. Komar, author of Beach Processes and Sedimentation "California's coast is a living landscape endlessly besieged by waves and tides, upland erosion, seismic forces, and human efforts to secure land's edge in place. A geography of awesome beauty and constant conflict, the coast is where people want to be. Living with the Changing California Coast is a must read for property owners, developers, investors, public officials, and activists who care about our coast's future. This book lays out the consequences of our tendency to wall up the coast and what we might do to reverse the trend. A most thorough, alarming and compelling tale of what is happening to our shoreline. Will policy makers listen?"--Peter Douglas, Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission