A luxury Laguna Beach resort is moving guests off its first floor as pounding Pacific surf threatens Southern California, and the forecast says the worst is still coming. Southern California coastal flooding is expected from Sunday through Thursday, with high tides reaching 7.5 to 8 feet β as much as 1.5 feet above projections β and the danger stretches from Orange County to San Diego.
The Surf & Sand Resort, a five-star beachfront property, is taking the threat seriously. A hotel employee told The California Post that no guests will be placed on the first floor, saying, “We are putting no guests on the first floor.” The worker described the move as an abundance of caution, adding that the building itself had not been damaged and had withstood major storms in the past.
King tides meet disappearing beaches
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has warned that minor to moderate coastal flooding is likely from Sunday through Thursday, with moderate to significant beach erosion on top. “HEADS UP!!!!” the agency warned, adding that some areas could face upgraded warnings as the event develops.
California’s Office of Emergency Services said a Coastal Flood Advisory would remain in effect along the state’s coast from October 25 through October 29, with Coastal Flood Warnings issued for Orange and San Diego counties. Elevated tides, amplified by the El NiΓ±o pattern, could increase the impacts of flooding in low-lying coastal spots.
The timing is brutal. Successive hurricane-generated swells from Marie, Polo and Rachel have already stripped sand from Southern California beaches, while an oceanic Kelvin wave is contributing to elevated water levels. When the sand goes, the buffer goes with it β and waves that once broke offshore now run straight into seawalls, homes and hotels.
“Surf and boulder” in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach surfer and skimboarding champion Blair Conklin captured powerful surf pounding the shoreline, where dwindling sand has left beachfront properties more exposed. “There’s a reason they call it Beach Roadβ¦ you got the Surf and Sand is now the surf and boulder, and the Beach Road is now β it’s definitely a rocky road,” Conklin said.
Conklin added that offshore reefs that once 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 bitβ¦ they’re just passing the reefs because it’s deep enough and then doubling up and hitting all the structures on the inside β and there’s no sand buffer.”
That loss of natural protection is the deeper story here. Beaches are not just scenery in Southern California; they are infrastructure. When they narrow, every high tide becomes a test of seawalls, bluffs and roads that were built for a calmer coastline.
The damage beyond one resort
The danger extends well beyond Laguna Beach. Crews are mounting a $4 million emergency operation to reinforce a fractured 360-foot bluff near El Moro and Crystal Cove, using heavy equipment, rocks and sand-filled plastic bags ahead of the king tides.
In Capistrano Beach, several homes along Beach Road have reportedly suffered structural damage. Six or seven homes have been red-tagged as uninhabitable and are undergoing demolition β a stark reminder that for some families, this is not a story about a hotel’s first floor but about losing a home.
A newly circulated Instagram video purporting to show a section of the Surf & Sand Resort’s oceanfront seawall collapsing has added to concerns about the pounding surf. The extent of any structural damage has not been independently confirmed, and readers should treat the video as unverified for now.
What to watch through Thursday
Residents and visitors along the Southern California coast should expect flooded beach parking lots, closed beach access points and dangerous surf through Thursday. High tides will peak with the king tides, and any additional swell could push flooding from minor to moderate in exposed areas.
Officials advise staying off wet rocks and jetties, keeping clear of waves overtopping seawalls, and never driving through flooded coastal roads. The ocean will look spectacular this week, and that is exactly what makes it dangerous: the waves drawing crowds to the shoreline are the same ones chewing away at the land beneath it.
Forecasters will keep updating tide heights and warning levels as the week goes on, and beach closures may change with each new bulletin. People planning a coastal walk, a surf session or a hotel stay should check the latest National Weather Service and Cal OES updates before setting out, and should take any evacuation or road-closure advice from local officials seriously. A beach that looks calm at low tide can change fast when the tide turns, and the same stretch of sand can go from safe to flooded in a single high-tide cycle.
Sources and Resources
Reporting for this article is based on the New York Post / California Post story: 5-star hotel in the crosshairs as coastal flooding pushes SoCal to its limits.
Which hotel is moving guests off its first floor?
The Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, as a precaution against coastal flooding and heavy surf.
How high will the tides get?
The National Weather Service forecasts high tides of 7.5 to 8 feet, up to 1.5 feet above projections, from Sunday through Thursday.
What is a king tide?
King tides are the highest tides of the year, when the sun, moon and Earth align to pull ocean water further up the shore than usual.
Are homes being damaged too?
Yes. In Capistrano Beach, six or seven Beach Road homes have been red-tagged as uninhabitable and are being demolished.
Is the seawall collapse video confirmed?
No. A video purporting to show a seawall collapse at Surf & Sand is circulating, but structural damage has not been independently confirmed.
Conclusion
Southern California’s coastline is facing a week-long test: king tides, stripped beaches and 8-foot surf pressing against homes, hotels and bluffs from Laguna Beach to San Diego. The Surf & Sand Resort’s empty first floor is a small precaution with a large message β the buffer that once protected this coast is gone, and the ocean is now knocking on the door.
See also: World Reach Daily
Southern California coastal flooding is expected to affect beach parking, beach access and low-lying roads. Southern California coastal flooding is driven by king tides and stripped beaches. Southern California coastal flooding remains a risk through Thursday, so check Southern California coastal flooding updates before travelling to the coast. Southern California coastal flooding is the focus of this report.
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Southern California coastal flooding updates will continue to track king tides, surf and beach access. Southern California coastal flooding affects Laguna Beach most at high tide, and Southern California coastal flooding warnings should be checked before any coastal trip. Southern California coastal flooding is therefore the key term to follow for beach closures, parking and road safety this week.
Southern California coastal flooding, Southern California coastal flooding and Southern California coastal flooding remain the focus for Laguna Beach, Orange County and San Diego. Southern California coastal flooding guidance, Southern California coastal flooding warnings and Southern California coastal flooding updates should be checked together before travelling.