Southern California Faces Coastal Flooding Amid High Tides and Beach Erosion
A Laguna Beach resort is relocating guests as a coastal flood advisory warns of significant wave action and erosion along the Southern California coast.
A luxury resort in Laguna Beach is taking precautionary measures by moving guests from its first floor as pounding Pacific surf threatens the Southern California coast. Coastal flooding and significant beach erosion are forecast from Sunday through Thursday.
The Surf & Sand Resort is implementing extra precautions as waves batter the beachfront property. A hotel employee confirmed that no guests will be accommodated on the first floor, citing an abundance of caution, though the building itself has not sustained damage and has historically withstood major storms.
The resort's actions highlight a broader concern for coastal communities across Southern California, where elevated tides and diminishing beaches are increasingly exposing homes, businesses, and public infrastructure to the elements.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has issued a warning for minor to moderate coastal flooding, with high tides expected to reach 7.5 to 8 feet, potentially up to 1.5 feet above projections. "HEADS UP!!!!" the agency stated, also noting the likelihood of moderate to significant beach erosion and the possibility of upgraded warnings for some areas.
The California Office of Emergency Services announced a Coastal Flood Advisory would be in effect from October 25 to October 29 along the state's coast, with Coastal Flood Warnings issued for Orange and San Diego counties.
Recent video shared on social media appears to show a section of the Surf & Sand resort's oceanfront seawall collapsing, fueling concerns about the intense surf. The extent of any structural damage has not been independently verified.
Local resident and skimboarding champion Blair Conklin described the altered shoreline, noting that offshore reefs, which previously helped break incoming waves, are no longer providing the same protection. "Waves are not breaking on those reefs that used to protect our coast a little bit… they’re just passing the reefs because it’s deep enough and then doubling up and hitting all the structures on the inside—and there’s no sand buffer," Conklin said.
The threat extends beyond Laguna Beach. Crews are engaged in a $4 million emergency operation to reinforce a fractured 360-foot bluff near El Moro and Crystal Cove, utilizing heavy equipment, rocks, and sand-filled plastic bags in anticipation of the king tides.
In Capistrano Beach, several homes along Beach Road have reportedly suffered structural damage, with six to seven homes being red-tagged as uninhabitable and slated for demolition. These conditions follow successive hurricane-generated swells from storms such as Marie, Polo, and Rachel, which have eroded beaches, compounded by an oceanic Kelvin wave contributing to elevated water levels.