Laguna Beach prepares for Super El Niño after water deaths

Laguna Beach is preparing for a strengthening El Niño with a local emergency declaration and a Monday, Oct. 12, preparedness workshop after several water-related deaths and shoreline damage this summer, Voice of OC reported.

The response comes after fatal incidents at local beaches, damaged seawalls and a failed section of the Aliso Beach parking lot raised public safety and coastal protection concerns in the Orange County city.

The National Weather Service said this year’s El Niño is gaining strength, with more than a 90% chance of a very strong event in the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter, according to Voice of OC.

Laguna Beach City Manager Dave Kiff declared the coming El Niño a local emergency on Sept. 10, and the City Council ratified the declaration on Sept. 14, Voice of OC reported. The declaration is intended to help the city seek funding and regulatory flexibility for shoreline protection, sand placement and repairs.

The city’s preparations follow several deaths connected to ocean conditions. Amada Mia Brown, 5, was swept away by a rogue wave at Treasure Island Beach in June; Moustafa Gulzarzada, 24, was reported missing while swimming at Crescent Bay Beach on Aug. 4 and later pronounced dead at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo; and Justin Anand Shahani, 41, was pulled from the water unconscious, suffered cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at Mission Hospital in late August, according to Voice of OC.

"Three people lost their lives during these various events, and that takes a big toll on first responders who pride themselves in saving people," Laguna Beach City Manager Dave Kiff said in a city newsletter cited by Voice of OC.

Kai Bond, Laguna Beach’s marine safety chief and head lifeguard for all city beaches, said changing surf conditions affected the coast this summer. "We had a summer impacted by unforeseen swells," Bond told Voice of OC. "At the beginning of the summer, we had a pretty large swell, which has contributed to extreme sand movement."

Bond also urged beachgoers to check safety conditions before entering the ocean. "The three things you should do is one, check the conditions before going," Bond told Voice of OC. "Two, upon your arrival, [check] with a lifeguard and ask them what the conditions are like."

The city’s Super El Niño Community Preparedness Workshop is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, as officials urge residents and visitors to treat surf conditions as a safety concern before storms arrive.