Dana Point Deploys 500 Boulders to Shield Homes as Marie Surf Red-Tags 7
Updated
Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Sep 9
Dana Point Deploys 500 Boulders to Shield Homes as Marie Surf Red-Tags 7
3 articles · Updated · NBC Los Angeles · Sep 9
Summary
About 500 boulders weighing 2 to 3 tons each are being trucked into Dana Point and placed at low tide to protect beachfront homes from further wave undermining.
Seven homes were red-tagged after decks and structural sections were washed away by surf and tidal erosion linked to Tropical Storm Marie; at least one appeared close to collapsing into the ocean.
A few properties were yellow-tagged for limited entry, and residents were packing to leave as Orange County officials and Coastal Commission staff worked on permits and support services.
Marie-driven swell also damaged shorelines in Long Beach, Malibu and other coastal areas, with about 20 homes along the Long Beach Boardwalk evacuated earlier this week.
Although the south swell was easing, evening high tides were expected to keep coastal impacts going through Thursday, when a beach hazards statement for parts of Los Angeles County was set to expire.
As massive boulders are rushed to save crumbling Dana Point mansions, who is truly footing the bill for this desperate coastal defense?
With luxury homes collapsing into the ocean despite emergency efforts, is living on the Southern California coast becoming a doomed, uninsurable dream?
Can dropping thousands of tons of rock truly stop nature's wrath, or are these emergency measures just delaying an inevitable coastal retreat?