Waves generated by Hurricane Polo triggered a massive rockslide at a Laguna Beach access point Tuesday, forcing officials to seal off the area and summon a geologist.
The slide struck near Agate Street beach access in Orange County, California, in the afternoon as remnants of the Pacific tempest churned offshore. No injuries were reported from the collapse, which sent debris cascading into the surf and clouded the water.
“Fire and Marine Safety crews responded and closed access, and a geologist will survey the site,” officials wrote on social media following the incident. “Please stay out of the area and follow all posted closures. We’ll share updates as we learn more.”
The rockslide came as Polo, since downgraded to a tropical storm, tracked through Mexico and aimed its residual energy toward the American Southwest. The system is expected to reach New Mexico and Texas before dissipating entirely, though forecasters warned of “life-threatening flash flooding” across the region into early Wednesday.
Southern California felt the storm’s punch primarily through the ocean. A Coastal Flood Advisory stayed active for Orange County and San Diego County until 5 p.m. Wednesday, with coastal cities bracing for punishing swells even as Polo itself never made direct landfall near Los Angeles.
Long Beach, Newport Beach and neighboring communities had already deployed resources and manpower to fortify shorelines ahead of the surge. The preparations underscored a broader anxiety about extreme weather along the Golden Coast.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency for the upcoming El Niño earlier this month, anticipating winter storms that could bring flooding, landslides and coastal erosion. Tuesday’s rockslide offered an early preview of those vulnerabilities.
The National Weather Service lifted its high surf and coastal flooding warning Tuesday but cautioned that the ocean remained treacherous. “The surf from Hurricane Polo has peaked and will lower rather quickly through Wednesday, but strong rip currents may linger,” the agency noted in its bulletin. “While the high tide will be lower on Wednesday compared to today, it will lower only a little and will likely still be above 7.0 feet.”
Pictures from the Agate Street scene showed waves hammering the cliffs with enough force to dislodge rock and earth. Laguna Beach, a coastal community roughly 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, draws visitors to its coves and tide pools, making the sudden closure of a popular access point particularly disruptive.
The geologist’s survey will determine when the area can reopen and whether further stabilization is needed.
Polo’s remains are forecast to continue weakening as they push inland, with the worst of the surf now past for California’s coastline.