As if our treasured coastline hasn’t already been beleaguered enough by rising sea levels over the past several years, the most recent battering by massive ocean swells generated by record-breaking hurricane activity in the Pacific has laid bare how dire the situation is.
Extensive damage along the coastline already led the county of Orange to declare an emergency last month. And then, overnight last Thursday into Friday, matters worsened courtesy of Tropical Storm Rachel and a Kelvin wave.
The scenic beaches tucked into a series of coves at Laguna are “unrecognizable,” a colleague who has lived there for decades said during our staff meeting yesterday afternoon. He described what he’s seen there in recent days: “all rocks, no sand.”
The historic boardwalk in Laguna buckled Friday and traffic had to be shut down at a flooded key intersection. These were preceded by other similar woes.
Just before Labor Day, more than month before last Friday’s powerful high surf event, the city closed the crumbling Aliso Beach parking lot due to coastal erosion. On Sept. 10, Laguna Beach declared a local state of emergency, due to heavy damage generated by Hurricane Marie. On Sept. 29, there was rock slide action at the Agate Beach stairway access.
Back to Friday: In Newport Beach, streets on the Balboa Peninsula became rivers — not that it stopped some motorists from forging ahead anyway — and there, too, city officials declared a local state of emergency.
Residents were invited to take advantage of free sandbags to fortify their homes in the low-lying areas as more damaging swells were expected over the weekend. Sand berms stretching up to 23 feet in height were built along the beach by city crews to protect Newport homes and businesses from more flooding.
Another huge surge was expected at high tide on Sunday morning but, according to a reporter who surveyed the scene for us, the area seemed to be, in his words, “bone dry.” More damage had been averted, for the time being, anyway. But yesterday there were news reports of a crack in the cliff under Pacific Coast Highway near Crystal Cove State Park that forced the closure of one lane of PCH.
In related news, the L.A. Times reported that because of years of erosion, landslides and rockfalls, the railroad line that runs along San Clemente’s coastline might have to be moved in order to survive the rising seas. “The California State Transportation Agency is expected to launch a study before year’s end examining what would go into potentially moving the rail line, according to Darrell Johnson, chief executive of the Orange County Transportation Authority,” The Times reports. Such a project was earlier estimated to carry a $5 billion price tag.
Our coast is running out of room.
MORE NEWS 
O.C. Department of Education Trustee Mari Barke, pictured during a Read Across America event in Huntington Beach in 2025, is facing record ethics penalties for not reporting up to $13 million in income and assets.
(Don Leach | Staff Photographer)
Ed official’s $13M in hidden income exposed by retired judge
The plaintiff in a civil lawsuit, O.C. Department of Education Trustee Mari Barke was ordered by a county judge to pay $101,800 in fines for not reporting about $13 million in income and assets, as required. The lawsuit was brought by a retired Newport Beach judge, Lynne Riddle, who discovered Barke had reported no income on her 700 forms from 2018 through 2021.
Police union reps who endorsed Democrats in O.C. elections attended Trump gala
As Election Day nears, images of Jose Duran and John Kachirisky, the respective presidents of the Anaheim and Santa Ana police unions, have been surfacing on social media of the two men attending an inaugural ball for President Trump on Jan. 20, 2025. Latinos comprise about 77% of Santa Ana’s population and 53% of Anaheim’s. Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant and expert on Latino politics, called the two men’s attendance at the Trump ball “tone deaf” and “a black eye.”
Fullerton suspends Flock license plate reader system
More than a dozen Flock Safety license plate readers used by Fullerton police will be turned off for a six-month period following a decision last week by the City Council. The move was made after the council heard from residents who are concerned about privacy issues with the surveillance cameras.
As Costa Mesa mulls issues of surveillance, privacy, CMPD expands its drone force
In Costa Mesa, citizen-driven pressure to “Get the Flock Out” has not yet met favor with city officials, and now the CMPD is expanding its drone force. Not everyone attending the recent City Council meeting where the program was discussed expressed confidence in the police department’s assurance that the drones are not being used for “routine patrols, random or discretionary surveillance or immigration enforcement,” according to the Daiy Pilot report.
Suspicious bags at Disneyland prompt bomb squad response, evacuation
Disneyland security alerted the Anaheim Police Department at about 9:50 p.m. Monday to two bags someone had left near a roundabout, including one with marbles inside and wires sticking out of it. Visitors were evacuated, but by midnight a bomb squad had determined the bags were harmless.
Souplantation will return to Orange County next year
The COVID pandemic was among the reasons cited when Garden Fresh Restaurants shuttered all of its Souplantation locations in 2020. Last week, it was announced the company would reopen at least one Souplantation in California in 2027, the one at 11179 Talbert Ave. in Fountain Valley.
Sports roundup 
Orange High quarterback Star Thomas III has led the Panthers to a 7-0 record, one of 23 teams still unbeaten.
(Caleb Otte / For The Times)
As Week 8 of the season go underway Monday, seven Orange County high school football teams are among the 23 that have won every game they’ve played so far, Eric Sondheimer reports for The Times.
In other gridiron glory, how about this? Several O.C. flag football teams made The Times’ Top 10 this week. JSerra is in the No. 1 spot, followed by Orange Lutheran, Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor and Mater Dei. A sixth O.C. team, Edison, is ranked No. 9.
4 Things to do in OC
👠 Keep up with the fashionistas in your circle by checking out the 15th annual StyleWeekOC at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, beginning at 4 p.m. today and running through Sunday. For more information, visit StyleWeekOC.com.
🖼️ Round up some fellow Disney enthusiasts for Disney Fan Day tomorrow, Oct. 15, at Hilbert Museum of California Art in Orange. It’s co-sponsored by the museum and Mickey Visit, a travel site that features news and tips about Disneyland.
🎥 A reminder: The annual Newport Beach Film Festival opens tomorrow night and runs through Thursday, Oct. 22. You can find the complete lineup (including more than 100 feature films and a passel of shorts) and purchase tickets here.
🎪 Help support local charities while having fun at the same time: Buena Park Noon Lions Club is hosting the 70th annual Silverado Days this Friday through Sunday at Peak Park, 7225 El Dorado Drive. Carnival, games, rides, contests, a dog show and more.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Please feel free to reach out with comments or questions at carol.cormaci@latimes.com.