Laguna Beach is the latest city to declare an emergency after swells from former Hurricane Marie stripped away sand and damaged seawalls.
Published Sep 11, 2026 3:08 PM EDT
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Updated Sep 11, 2026 3:11 PM EDT
Waves as high as 12 feet slammed the California coast, causing minor coastal flooding and prompting the evacuation of some beachfront homes over Labor Day weekend.
With a powerful El Niño threatening to bring larger storms and waves through this winter, Southern California communities are already losing beaches and scrambling to protect oceanfront homes after swells from former Hurricane Marie accelerated coastal erosion.
Laguna Beach officials declared a local emergency Thursday because of ongoing sand loss and coastal erosion, with some of the most significant impacts reported at Lagunita Beach, Pearl Street Beach and Christmas Cove.
An aerial view of the incoming tide and swell at Aliso Beach in Laguna Beach, where recent storm surges caused damage to the parking lot area and erosion, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
At Aliso Beach, the ocean has consumed the beach and damaged part of the parking lot. City officials said the emergency declaration will allow crews to move quickly on shoreline protection, sand replacement, debris removal and repairs without waiting for the usual contracting process. The City of Laguna Beach announced the declaration Thursday.
“If you’ve been to the beach in the last week, you have seen it. Swell from Hurricane Marie pulled a significant amount of sand off our beaches starting September 2, and the erosion is still happening,” the city said in a statement.
The incoming tide and swell approaches a recently built sand berm and closed parking lot at Aliso Beach in Laguna Beach, where recent storm surges caused damage to the parking lot and erosion, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Six oceanfront homes along Ocean Way and Lagunita Drive were yellow-tagged after their seawalls were compromised. A yellow tag restricts access to a property because of potentially unsafe conditions but does not prohibit entry entirely.
The city said it is seeking funding and regulatory flexibility to complete more effective shoreline protection and repairs.
Laguna Beach follows similar emergency declarations in Long Beach and Dana Point.
Long Beach firefighters went door to door Monday, notifying residents of roughly 20 homes to evacuate after a seawall was compromised. Seawater and sand entered several homes as waves continued to erode protective berms and damage parts of the boardwalk.
In an aerial view, a Pacific Ocean wave crashes over a seawall protecting beachside homes on Sept. 7, 2026 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In Dana Point, eight homes were red-tagged and seven were yellow-tagged after high surf and unusually high tides damaged properties along Beach Road, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Farther north in Malibu, 31 properties were placed under evacuation orders Tuesday after erosion and powerful waves contributed to a sinkhole outside a home owned by actor Nicolas Cage. The hole expanded to about 30 feet deep and 60 feet wide, damaging the roadway and limiting access for emergency vehicles. Seven properties were declared unsafe because of the sinkhole while 24 others lost safe vehicle access.
This aerial view shows a sinkhole on a street and driveway of a seaside home belonging to actor Nicolas Cage amid large swells produced by Hurricane Marie in Malibu, California, on Sept. 8, 2026. Hurricane Marie stayed well offshore of Southern California during Labor Day weekend, but its large swells produced dangerous surf and rip currents, with waves reaching around 10 feet in some areas. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)
The erosion also disrupted rail travel through San Clemente, where waves washed over tracks and damaged protective rock along the coastal rail corridor. Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and freight service were affected while crews conducted emergency stabilization work.
With strong El Niño’s impacts expected to increase heading into winter, Southern California officials are urging coastal residents to inspect their seawalls and make repairs now before the next round of powerful waves arrives.
Learn more about El Niño 2026-2027: