Dana Point homes red-tagged following high tides, calls for county-level state of emergency continue

LOS ANGELES - Ten beachfront homes along Beach Road in Dana Point have now been red-tagged following relentless coastal erosion and high surf, according to official figures released by the city.

The city of Dana Point says seven homes have also been yellow-tagged.

What they're saying:

For local homeowners, the damage is both immediate and catastrophic.

Chris Rogers says he's lived in his beachfront home along Beach Rd. for about five years and saw his kitchen and living room completely destroyed by the ocean waves.

"This is our 1953 vintage beach bungalow that is now in shambles here," Rogers said.

He would like to see the California Coastal Commission make the permitting process easier to enable homeowners to protect their properties long term. The other long term fix residents are requesting is sand renourishment.

"It's critical that we cut this red tape and figure out how to expedite, how to get the sand on the beaches, how to help these homeowners to save their homes," said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley of the 5th District.

Foley also pointed to "decades of failure by the government to invest in sand replenishment."

"When we built the harbor decades ago, the environmental reports required that the county invest 50,000 cubic yards of sand annually to help keep the sand in this zone, and the county didn't do it," Foley stated.

Push for an Orange County State of Emergency

Dig deeper:

On September 9, the City of Dana Point Director of Emergency Services issued a Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency due to the coastal flooding caused by Hurricane Marie within the Capistrano Bay Community Services District.

Nearby Laguna Beach has also declared a local state of emergency due to severe sand loss and erosion along its coast. Foley says she's actively pushing Orange County to follow suit, which would unlock key resources and help property owners.

"If we can get that approved at the county level, we can help get some Army Corps loosening of the permitting, Coastal Commission, we have calls into the Governor's Office," Foley said.

With threats of a historic El Niño pattern looming, residents emphasize that county and state officials must act without further delay.

"We need to do what's been discussed for years and stop talking about it and start doing it in terms of sand beach renourishment," Rogers urged. "If that were in place, this would hardly be a trickle on the beach."

California Coastal Commission 

FOX 11 reached out to the California Coastal Commission about the damaged properties along Beach Rd. and the permitting process. The agency says over the last two weeks they have approved emergency permits to allow for additional armoring across 17 properties. 

Joshua Smith, California Coastal Commission Public Information Officer, says the Coastal Commission has in recent years "allowed for seawalls and rock revetments to protect homes along Beach Road in Dana Point."

"The Coastal Commission has, for years, engaged the community and the city on medium to longer-term strategies for preventing flood damage in this area. Possible approaches include adding sand to beaches, installing cobblestone berms and elevating homes," said Smith. "It’s important to note that while seawalls and rock revetments can provide temporary relief for homes, such armoring can also increase erosion and destroy the public beaches that help protect those same structures from flooding."

Dana Point