Laguna Beach's City Council has ratified a local emergency first declared Oct. 8, after the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel sent high surf and wave activity surging into downtown and flooded the intersection of Broadway and Coast Highway near Main Beach. City crews responded by building a sand berm between the boardwalk and the water, closing Aliso Beach to vehicles, and opening the city's emergency operations center over the weekend to manage the fallout.
The proclamation, issued Oct. 8, was formally ratified by the City Council the following Tuesday night, according to the Los Angeles Times. That same night, the council also terminated a separate local emergency the city had declared in September over coastal erosion and sand loss tied to a south swell from Hurricane Marie, making this the second emergency declaration the coastal city has dealt with in a single month. Flooding that day sent at least 8 inches of water pooling at the Coast Highway and Broadway intersection by close to 11 a.m., as reported by The Orange County Register, which noted the water came straight off the ocean during a stretch of high tides and high surf.
A Berm Built to Hold the Line
To blunt further flooding, crews built a sand berm at Main Beach between the boardwalk and the shoreline, and the structure is expected to stay in place indefinitely. Per the same account, a section near the lifeguard tower was deliberately lowered to preserve sightlines and water access for marine safety staff. The flooding also forced street closures along Broadway between Coast Highway and Beach Street.
Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said surf would consistently run 4 to 6 feet during the high-surf event and warned that coastal flooding was expected near Main Beach, with the possibility of similar impacts at Aliso Beach. Despite the berm, the city still expects minor coastal flooding near Main Beach, and Bond has asked people to stay off the berm itself to preserve its strength and keep it safe. Separately, Bond told the Times that significant, consistent surf could continue for 14 to 16 days, while city officials more broadly expected elevated surf levels to persist for roughly two weeks.
Beach Closures and an Emergency Hub in Action
Aliso Beach, located in South Laguna, remains shut to vehicular traffic and will close intermittently to pedestrians during high-tide periods. Laguna Beach officials also closed a walkway below the Montage Resort at Christmas Cove because of apparent hillside subsidence. The city opened its emergency operations center over the weekend, and city leaders used the facility to produce a livestream update for residents.
Council member Mark Orgill praised city staff's response and the center's performance during its test run on Saturday, saying it appeared effective once it was put into action. The city plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the emergency operations center on Oct. 20 at the Laguna Beach Community and Recreation Center, where the facility will be dedicated to Matt Lawson, a former chair of the city's Emergency Disaster Preparedness Committee.
Sandbags, Inspections and What Comes Next
Laguna Beach will hold a sandbag distribution event on Oct. 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Aliso Beach east parking lot, where residents and local businesses can collect up to 10 sandbags each. The city separately offers filled sandbags on a self-serve, first-come-first-served basis year-round for residents bracing for heavy rain, according to the City of Laguna Beach, which caps distribution at 10 sandbags per property. The city says it plans to hold more sandbag events and likely another preparedness event in the future.
An earlier El Niño preparedness event drew about 50 attendees and took place the Monday night before the Tuesday council meeting. City Manager Dave Kiff advised residents concerned about their property or seawalls to request an inspection through the Community Development Department.
A Stormy Pattern Along the Orange County Coast
Laguna Beach isn't alone in grappling with this fall's rough surf. Tropical Storm Rachel and unusually high tides brought surface flooding to several coastal Orange County cities, as Voice of OC reported. Newport Beach declared its own state of emergency after overnight flooding along the Balboa Peninsula, and Huntington Beach activated its emergency operations center and staged crews in flood-prone areas ahead of weekend high tides.
Dana Point declared a local emergency after high swells damaged waterfront properties, with nine homes red-tagged and seven yellow-tagged, according to Voice of OC; a separate account from NBC Los Angeles put the damaged-home count at eight red-tagged and seven yellow-tagged following heavy surf that nearly swept away a home off Beach Road. San Clemente, meanwhile, was weighing its own emergency declaration after storm damage to its pier, including harm to a pylon and 17 braces that could cost the city roughly $300,000, per Voice of OC.
Forecasters have offered varying odds on just how severe this El Niño winter could get. Voice of OC cited the National Weather Service putting the chance of a historic weather event at 75%, while a separate Voice of OC report cited an 83% chance of a historic Super El Niño event between October and December. NBC Los Angeles reported NOAA had put the odds of a very strong El Niño above 90%, and CBS News reported the city itself cited a 90% chance of a very strong El Niño in its own planning. The figures differ across outlets, but the underlying message for Laguna Beach and its coastal neighbors is the same: more big surf may be on the way this winter.
