Hurricane Marie Triggers 417 Rescues and Strips Southern California Beaches as Homes Are Damaged
Updated
Updated · OCRegister · Sep 9
Hurricane Marie Triggers 417 Rescues and Strips Southern California Beaches as Homes Are Damaged
3 articles · Updated · OCRegister · Sep 9
Summary
Newport Beach and Laguna Beach lifeguards made 417 rescues over the three-day holiday weekend as Hurricane Marie's swell turned Southern California surf treacherous.
A mega tide hit with the storm surge, smashing patios, decks and some oceanfront homes while stripping sand from beaches and leaving 8-foot drop-offs, exposed rocks and unstable bluffs.
Officials spent the week assessing wider damage: San Onofre limited access, Crystal Cove lost an access road and had a water line undermined, and a broken sewer line near Corona del Mar prompted health advisories.
Newport Beach alone logged 213 rescues and more than 5,000 this year versus about 3,000 in an average year, underscoring how Marie's surf compounded an already intense summer on the coast.
The destruction follows earlier evacuations in Malibu, Dana Point and Long Beach, with coastal agencies now hoping winter swells may restore some lost sand even as erosion risks remain.