By Courtney Barrow, AccuWeather staff writer
May 24,2017, 8:13:48AM,EDT
A massive landslide shut down a portion of the famed Highway 1 in Big Sur, California, over the weekend.
Following one of the wettest winters in California in recent history, the landslide caused extensive damage to the coastal highway under 40 feet and 1 million tons of rock and mud. About a quarter-mile of the road at an area called Mud Creek is closed off.
Authorities say as the area is still unstable, they have yet to be able to revisit the area and assess when it can reopen.
"While the drought-busting precipitation was welcomed across California, the excessive rainfall had devastating impacts," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts. "This resulted in a large number of landslides, flooding and resulting disruptions to power and transportation."
Months of rain this winter ended a five-year-long drought. California areas impacted by drought fell from 54 to 14 percent since May 2016, as many areas received several times their normal annual rainfall.
Big Sur is a known tourist spot in California, attracting visitors for its scenic beaches and redwoods.
ABC News reported the active winter season caused more than $1 billion in infrastructure so far this fiscal year in California. Last year, that total was $660 million.
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Big Sur, California forecast
Big Sur landslide pic - shared by some friends at USGS. 😮 #landslide pic.twitter.com/tnWCPv7xhZ— Claire Masteller (@ccmasteller) May 24, 2017
Big Sur faced one blow already earlier this year when Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge along Highway 1 was badly damaged due to storms. A relief fund for Big Sur began in early March and can be found here.
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