In 1938, Los Angeles endured unprecedented rains and subsequent flooding. The first storm hit February 27 and 28, unleashing 4.5 inches of rain. Then on March 1, a second storm hit with gale-force winds, dumping ten inches of rain. It ended up taking 144 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. It was so devastating that not long afterwards, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on channeling the Los Angeles River with concrete for improved water management. This photo was taken at the Santa Monica Canyon part of Santa Monica Beach. The sign on top of the hill reads: “Huntington Palisades” which I’d never heard of before, so I looked it up. It’s right next to the Pacific Palisades which was engulfed in the wildfires in early 2025. (Source: Water & Power Associates)
I’m not completely sure this is the exact same view, but this is what the Santa Monica Canyon stretch of Santa Monica Beach looked like in May 2024.
One of the Big Four founders of Central Pacific Railroad, Collis P. Huntington had aquired the entire Palisades lands as he was planning to retire and live there. (It would have been a view over Long Wharf and the new Port of Los Angeles had not San Pedro won out.) But he died while still back east and his nephew Henry along with widow Arabella (sp?) were the survivors. IIRC, Sherman & Clark became involved in these lands with some of those far flung plans to try to get on through the Rindge properties up at Malibu. (The coastal line to Santa Barbara eventually was located through the valley by branching off from Burbank Junction.)
Interesting to see how much the palisades have eroded back. There used to be a lovely home right at the top. Eventually the cliff eroded back to their fence. Then the fence went. Every time I drove by I felt for the people who were slowly, but surely, losing their special place.
Incredible pix, Martin. Living in the valley, I have heard about the Lankershim Bridge at Universal City collapsing, killing five. In the vacinity of the Tujunga Wash and LA River. The flood necessitated the construction of the massive Sepulveda Dam in Van Nuys in 1941, Hollywood got behind it and subsequently filmed countless movies and tv shows there. Ironically, that’s its claim to fame today. A good place for filming! 1938 was a volitile year. I remember my dad, who grew up in Connecticut, recalling the Great New England Hurricane of ’38. Very similar in flooding and damage to what happened in LA. Climate change has been around a lot longer than we thought.