The winter of 1982-83 remains one of the most destructive chapters in California coastal history — a season of towering surf, flooded streets, collapsing piers, epic waves for some, and beaches disappearing almost overnight. The culprit was an exceptionally powerful El Niño. Elevated ocean levels combined with a relentless succession of Pacific storms, high tides and enormous waves. Between January and March 1983 alone, eight major storms struck California’s coast, often with the largest surf arriving near high tide. The results were staggering. In the video below, we take a walk down memory lane at that historic meteorological event, and what it could mean for this year’s Super El Niño. According to the California Coastal Commission, 33 oceanfront homes were destroyed, while roughly 3,000 homes and 900 coastal businesses were damaged by storm surge, waves and erosion.…