South Beach

Since 2017, the Port has connected with tens of thousands of San Francisco residents through the Waterfront Resilience Program.

Feedback from community members in South Beach underscores the importance of keeping people moving and connected to the city. From Bay Bridge access, the Embarcadero Promenade and transit options to bike lanes, ferries and boats, transit was identified as a key South Beach feature to protect and improve. Recreation, including the Embarcadero Promenade and parks and plazas on the waterfront, and emergency preparedness, including access to evacuation routes and staging areas, also emerged as top values.

Further feedback highlights how neighborhood priorities in South Beach align with the work of the Waterfront Resilience Program, including opportunities to:

• Improve Seismic Safety.
• Enhance Disaster Response Communication.
• Increase Transit Options and Relieve Traffic Congestion.
• Provide Safer and Continuous Bike Paths.
• Preserve and Enhance the Embarcadero Promenade.
• Expand Public Parks and Recreation Activities.
• Support Local Tourism Opportunities.

Community feedback also helped identify places in South Beach that people love, from the San Francisco Giants ballpark, McCovey Cove, South Beach Harbor to the Embarcadero Promenade, South Beach Playground and Park and Brannan Street Wharf.

Click on the blue dots to learn more about each place.

The Port, in collaboration with City partners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is taking steps to better understand the different seismic and flood risks along its 7.5-mile bayside jurisdiction. Recent assessment efforts include:

• Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment 
• Flood Resiliency Study (with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequences Assessment (City of San Francisco)
• Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy (with SF Planning, SFMTA, and SFPUC)
• Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

Scroll down to learn more about the seismic and flood risks in South Beach based on these findings.

Improving the seismic safety of the waterfront is a top priority of the Waterfront Resilience Program. See the  Seismic and Flood Risk 101  page to learn more about the history of earthquakes in the Bay Area and San Francisco’s commitment to improving seismic safety.

As detailed in the Seawall Earthquake Safety General Obligation Bond Report prepared when Proposition A was considered for the November 2018 ballot, the Port has spent the past two years assessing what is at risk on the Embarcadero waterfront when considering an earthquake or flood event to establish a basis for the development of Proposition A projects. This study is called the Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment, or MHRA. 

We knew the Port’s aging Embarcadero Seawall was at grave risk from earthquakes. MHRA findings tell us there are areas more at risk of earthquake damage due to different soil conditions - and some less so. 

Here are some specific key findings that relate to this subarea:

• In the South Beach subarea, earthquake instability of the Seawall is lower than previously thought. Lateral spreading and Seawall movement is not expected to be a problem in the area, but strong ground shaking is expected to damage wharves and the roadway.
• The Embarcadero roadway has significant seismic risk, which could impact disaster response and local and regional transportation. Due to the presence of weak soil, the Embarcadero transportation and utility corridor is at significant seismic risk. In a 1906-size earthquake, damage to the Seawall and Embarcadero may be severe enough to significantly hamper disaster response efforts along the waterfront. A more likely earthquake like the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake – but centered close to San Francisco – is expected to lead to loss of the Embarcadero as a transportation route for up to 1 year.
•  Many historic buildings and bulkhead wharves are at high risk. The bulkhead wharves are the structures located where the pile supported piers over the Bay meet the land. These structures are interconnected with the seawall and support the ornate, historic bulkhead buildings that line the Embarcadero. These structures are at high risk of earthquake damage and will flood with increasing sea levels.

Liquefaction is an unique phenomenon that happens when water-saturated sediment (like sand) temporarily loses strength and acts as a fluid. Imagine jumping on wet sand near the water at the beach until it turns soft and liquid.

Liquefaction is caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake and is greater in areas with sandy soils. As a result of liquefaction, buildings, roads and utility lines may lose their foundational support and the likelihood of significant damage increases. Liquefaction of the soil behind the Seawall will also increase the risk of lateral spreading along the shoreline.

The map shows the South Beach liquefaction risk rated as: Very High (dark red), Moderate (orange), and Very Low (yellow). The good news is that through most of South Beach, the risk of lateral spreading and Seawall movement is much lower than previously thought, likely reducing the amount of investment needed for seismic fixes in this area of the waterfront.

Liquefaction can also increase the risk of lateral spreading, which is when gently sloping ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks to open up. Lateral spreading is a seismic hazard that causes large areas of land to move, typically toward a body of water. This results in potentially large cracks and settlement at the ground surface, resembling a landslide but on relatively flat ground. 

Scroll down to see how liquefaction and lateral spreading could impact South Beach in the event of two possible larger earthquakes. These projections are part of the  Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment  (MHRA) completed for the three-mile Embarcadero Seawall Program.  

Similar to the 1906 earthquake, a 225-year-earthquake has less than a 0.50 percent chance of occurring in any given year. In such an extreme event:

• Significant damage to infrastructure and buildings could occur along some areas of South Beach’s waterfront due to intense ground shaking and liquefaction.  Strong ground shaking could cause damage to historic wharves and historic bulkhead buildings in this area.
• Lateral spreading of up to about 30 inches (see the map’s darker orange to red areas) could occur in the area near the San Francisco Giants’ ballpark due to higher instability of the Seawall.

The lateral spread risk decreases inland from the Seawall to areas that are not built on bay fill.

A very rare 975-year earthquake would be larger than the 1906 earthquake and has a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in a given year. In this extraordinary event:

• Lateral spreading of up to 12 inches could occur near the Seawall throughout most of the South Beach subarea, meaning that the land could slide up to a foot towards the bay (see the map’s light to medium orange areas).
• Lateral spreading could be over 80 inches (6.5 feet) in the area near the San Francisco Bay Giants ballpark (see the darkest red areas on the map).

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to improve seismic safety along the waterfront? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the event of earthquakes.

The Port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have partnered to study flood risk along San Francisco’s bayside shoreline. The Flood Resiliency Study is one of several federal, state, and local collaborations to help the Port increase resilience along the San Francisco shoreline.

Launched in Fall 2018, the approximately three- to five-year Flood Resiliency Study will identify vulnerabilities and identify recommended strategies to reduce current and future flood risks for consideration by the Assistant Secretary of the Army and the U.S. Congress for federal investment and implementation.

Scroll down to see the different risks and impacts for South Beach when considering various scenarios for flooding and sea level rise. The flood maps presented here are from the  Adapting to Rising Tides Flood Explorer .

Overtopping is when water, usually in the form of storm surge or a wave, can reach over the shoreline and cause inland flooding. In general, overtopping of natural shorelines such as wetlands and beaches occurs at a lower flood elevation than overtopping of engineered shorelines such as seawalls, bulkheads, and wharves.

Red lines shown on the map indicate where overtopping begins to occur with 52 inches of sea level rise, or 13 inches sea level rise combined with a 100-year coastal flood event. While most of South Beach remains safe from coastal flooding, coastal floodwaters begin to overtop in the adjacent Mission Creek.

Learn more below about how flooding and future sea level rise is likely to impact South Beach.

A Tipping Point is reached when the impacts of a flood event create cascading consequences that can have citywide or regional ramifications. Damage is more than can be immediately addressed and affects critical assets and the community. The Port and the City use the concept of a tipping point to understand when planning for large-scale shoreline adaptation projects is necessary and which site-specific approaches to flood risk reduction may be overwhelmed. Understanding tipping points and how they vary along the waterfront can also help compare and prioritize projects along the waterfront.

South Beach reaches a critical Tipping Point with 66 inches of sea level rise, or approximately 26 inches of sea level rise combined with a 100-year coastal flood event. In this situation, overtopping would:

• Occur at several locations along the Embarcadero, from south of the Bay Bridge to the South Beach Harbor.
• Turn the Embarcadero into a pathway for floodwaters into the  Ferry Building  (Subarea 2-2).
• Occur at the Peter R. Maloney (Fourth Street) Bridge, limiting bridge access and leading to floodwaters traveling along Berry Street further into South Beach.
• Cause flooding of multiple transit routes, including the Muni T-Line and E-Line, and numerous Muni and regional bus stops.
• Disrupt traffic on the Embarcadero, Third Street, and Fourth Street.
• Flood the Brannan Street Wharf.
• Flood Disaster Response assembly and staging areas, such as the embarkation facility at China Basin Ferry. 
• Impact the HiDive Bar, Red's Java House, and the 200-bed Embarcadero Navigation Center.

This map shows the flood impacts for South Beach when considering the San Francisco’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone.

San Francisco’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone covers areas that will likely face future flooding and inundation with 66 inches of sea level rise combined with 66 inches of sea level rise. This is a high-end scenario that could occur by the end of the century. Projects within the Zone must include sea level rise adaptation strategies to support the increased resilience of San Francisco’s communities, but they are not usually required to build that level of flood risk reduction now. Rather, they must demonstrate approaches to adapt to that flood level at a later time.

Under this scenario, significant areas of South Beach could be flooded. The entire South Beach shoreline would be overtopped if flood protection or adaptation actions are not implemented.

The Port and the City are also considering the H++ Scenario in the  State of California’s most recent Sea Level Rise Guidance (2018) . The H++ Scenario (shown in magenta) represents the area that could be inundated by 2100 if global ice sheets melt much faster than currently anticipated.

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to mitigate flooding and sea level rise? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront.

Given the specific impacts of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise, what is at stake in South Beach?

The following maps detail important emergency response resources, transportation services, maritime industries, public utilities, parks, historical and cultural resources, and critical facilities located in South Beach.

Built on bay fill, residents in this subarea are close to the shoreline with access to waterfront open space and local and regional transit systems. Seismic and flood impacts could impact housing and access to transportation, health care, jobs and open space in this subarea.

Community indicators, such as income level, mobility access, race, age, education level, and language access, all play a part in how communities are impacted and able to prepare and respond to hazards like earthquakes and flooding. In South Beach, elderly residents who live in this subarea and residents who receive services at the Embarcadero Navigation Center are most at risk during a seismic or flood event. Organizations like Delancey Street Foundation are vital in this subarea for providing services and fostering community cohesion and earthquakes and sea level rise may impact the ability for those organizations to continue playing an integral role in the community.

Keep scrolling to learn more about how particular places and services in South Beach could be impacted by these risks.

In the event of a natural disaster, South Beach has three assembly areas where people can go for support or evacuation. These include:

• Pier 30 / 32, where a large vessel can dock and provide aid.
• The water taxi at Pier 40.
• The China Basin Ferry Terminal, which can be activated both for response and/or evacuation efforts.

South Beach also has three staging areas for supplies, resources, equipment, and emergency crews.

Six fire engine connections and two fireboat connections in South Beach are part of the San Francisco’s Emergency Firefighting Water System, which can be quickly accessed to draw water directly from the bay and pump it into the fire water distribution system to be used at high-pressure at fire hydrants throughout the city. Fireboats can also draw bay water and use it directly to fight fires along the waterfront. The major intake to support Pump Station 1 of the Emergency Firefighting Water System is located near Pier 38. 

Click on the yellow dots to learn more about disaster response services in South Beach. 

In addition to the Embarcadero Roadway, Third Street and Fourth Street are major roadways that run through South Beach and help connect it to the rest of the city. Third Street and Fourth Street cross the Mission Creek Channel via two drawbridges, the Lefty O’Doul / Third Street Bridge, and the Peter R. Maloney Fourth Street Bridge, respectively.

The Embarcadero Promenade and San Francisco Bay Trail also run through South Beach as key routes.

South Beach is also served by other local and regional public transit, including:

• Muni’s Historic Streetcar E-line
• The T-line and N-line of the Muni Metro surface light rail system
• Golden Gate Transit
• AC Transit
• Amtrak
• San Francisco Bay Ferry
• Golden Gate Ferry
• Embarcadero Promenade and San Francisco Bay Trail

With bicycle lanes, bus and trolley routes directly along the waterfront and throughout this area, South Beach has many transit amenities. 

Click the blue dots of the map to explore the transportation network options that help get people to, from, and around South Beach.

Most of this portion of the waterfront is zoned for industrial use. Major maritime facilities located on piers within South Beach include:

• The International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union Hall 
• Ferry terminal at San Francisco Giants’ ballpark
• Water Taxi at Pier 40 and U.S. Coast Guard
• Pier 30/32, a 13-acre open space that can support concerts, events, and provide critical disaster response services
• South Beach Harbor and Harbor Master Office
• Temporary fireboat berths at Pier 26

Click the blue dots to learn more about maritime facilities and services in South Beach.

Draft guiding principles of the Waterfront Resilience Program include creating opportunities to enhance and expand open space, increasing free public access to the waterfront, restoring habitats, and offering education.

South Beach offers some of the city’s best public access to the waterfront and iconic views of the Bay Bridge from Pier 40. Community favorites include South Beach Harbor and Park, South Beach Park, and the Brannan Street Wharf.

Both the San Francisco Bay Trail, a waterfront walking and cycling path around the entire bay that runs through all nine counties, and the San Francisco Bay Water Trail, a network of boat launching and landing sites, are also accessible from South Beach.

Click the green dots on the map to learn more about the public sites, open parks, and waterfront spaces in South Beach.  

San Francisco’s neighborhoods and businesses rely on buried and above ground infrastructure, such as wastewater and stormwater pipelines, power lines, and water distribution pipelines. South Beach also has some large infrastructure assets that are critical to more than just the South Beach area:

• The Bay Bridge Pump Station located near the foot of the Bay Bridge pumps drinking water to Treasure Island. Currently, this pump station provides Treasure Island with its only source of drinking water.
• Pacific Gas & Electric operates the Moscone Substation in this subarea, one of nine substations located in San Francisco.
• The SFPUC has a large transport / storage box located underground that can store 38 million gallons of rainwater to help reduce the risk of rainfall driven flooding and prevent the Southeast Treatment Plant from exceeding its maximum treatment capacity.

Click the gray dots on the map to learn more about the city’s major utility infrastructure.

San Francisco defines critical facilities as those facilities or programs that are essential to recovery after a natural disaster. Examples include hospitals, medical centers, schools, and police stations. 

Located within South Beach is the South of Market Health Center, which provides mental health services in addition to comprehensive health care. The center is located near several homeless shelters, and many of its clients are homeless when they first seek services. Essential services provided include intake and evaluation, case management and linkage to other services, crisis evaluation and management, and medication and individual psychotherapy services.

Other assets that are important to the neighborhood include the Navigation Center, residential areas, commercial, retail and office spaces, schools, and more.

Click on the red dots to learn more about the city’s critical facilities located in and near South Beach. 

South Beach carries a rich and colorful history rooted in employment rights, empowering rights, and the formation of labor unions. It is home to both nationally and locally registered landmarks. Its heritage is told in the following landmarks: 

• The Garcia and Maggini Warehouse marks where several thousand strikers and sympathizers gathered in 1934 and resisted attempts to “break the union.” Following the success of the strike and ability of the longshoremen and maritime workers to unite, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union was formed and continues to this day.
• The New 12 Pullman Hotel served as the primary lodging venue in San Francisco for African American railroad workers, including Pullman porters and maids, during the first half of the twentieth century.
• The Piledrivers, Bridge, and Structural lronworkers Local No. 77 Union Hall is one of the earliest union halls in San Francisco, playing a key role in the growth of organized labor in the city. 
• Piers 26, 28, 38, and 40, which have been identified by the Port as part of a larger plan to renovate and redevelop historic piers. 
• The San Francisco Giants’ ballpark, a 42,000-seat stadium that includes views of the Bay Bridge and became the new home for the team in April 2000. In addition to hosting Giants’ games, the ballpark also serves as a venue for concerts and Hi-Definition screenings for performing arts events. 

Part of the South End Historic District and South Historic District Addition, South Beach includes such waterfront favorites as the century-old Java House at Pier 30, HiDive Bar and Restaurant, and Red’s. 

Click on the orange dots to learn more about the historical and cultural sites found in and near South Beach. 

After assessing community priorities and specific seismic and flood risk in this subarea, the Port and its partners, including the City, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other key stakeholders, are currently reviewing potential strategies for addressing these challenges and adapting the waterfront to reduce risks and meet the needs, priorities, and visions of the community over time. The Port has begun to identify measures, or specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the face of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise. Visit the  Measures Explorer  to learn more. 

Thank you for reviewing the South Beach Waterfront Resilience Story Map. To view more detailed information about this subarea, click on the technical documents below.

•  Subarea Profile 
•  Flood Risk Profiles 
•  Problems, Opportunities, Objectives, Constraints, and Considerations (POOCC) Fact Sheet