The city of Dana Point has declared a local emergency after coastal flooding and strong surf fueled by Hurricane Marie severely damaged at least 16 beachfront homes.
City officials deemed nine oceanfront homes unsafe for inhabitants as of Wednesday night, “red-tagging” them — adding two from prior evaluations. At least seven homes are now “yellow-tagged,” city officials said, which indicate some structural damage. Only two had been yellow-tagged the day prior.
The relentless waves destroyed decks, tore down walls and appeared to flood several of the homes on Beach Road, part of the Capistrano Bay Community Services District.
No city infrastructure was damaged in the oceanic assault, but city officials said in a statement that its teams “will continue to coordinate with the appropriate agencies as conditions along the coastline are monitored and addressed.”
High surf pounded the region’s increasingly fragile coastline from Malibu to San Diego over Labor Day weekend, also causing a massive sink hole in Malibu and damaging a seawall, boardwalk and some homes in Long Beach. Experts say this storm may be only a taste of what is ahead as El Niño forecasts continues to strengthen, which tends to signal stormier-than-average weather.
Homeowners in Dana Point are working to install emergency protection from the onslaught of waves, including a boulder barrier, according to the statement from the city.
“Homeowners are just trying to do what they can to stop the wave action from further erosion,” said Karen Morris, the administrative assistant for the Capistrano Bay Community Services District, which serves the homes. She said the red tags don’t signal the homes are completely destroyed, but that they will require significant work to ensure structural safety.
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