KAANAPALI, Hawaii — Photos reveal that Kaanapali Beach in West Maui has almost completely disappeared, and the concrete boardwalk and coconut trees that line the hotel district are falling into the ocean.
What You Need To Know
Erosion has been impacting Kaanapali for decades, but it accelerated this summer
The Department of Land and Natural Resources said they are monitoring the erosion and partially collapsed beach boardwalk, but the hotels that line the beach are not currently threatened
The size of a beach naturally fluctuates, but building too close to the shoreline and erecting temporary structures to preserve buildings disrupts the movement of sand and leads to beach loss
Tiare Lawrence, a West Maui resident that took photos of the erosion, says the best solution is managed retreat, which would require moving the hotels inland
Tiare Lawrence, who is from West Maui, shared photos and drone images she took of the erosion with Spectrum News Hawaii.
