Laguna Beach Says Enough Is Enough, Declares Emergency Over Vanishing Sand

Laguna Beach isn't waiting around. After swell from former Hurricane Marie tore through local beaches starting September 2, stripping sand and yellow-tagging six oceanfront homes on Ocean Way and Lagunita Drive, the city declared a local emergency to skip the usual red tape on shoreline protection and sand placement. Part of the Aliso Beach parking lot failed outright. With a strong El Niño winter already on the forecast, officials aren't treating this as a one-off. Dana Point and Malibu declared their own emergencies from the same swell, prompting Orange County to activate its Emergency Operations Center.