What's up Dana Point! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️
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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: DFC Expo Fall 2026 and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What do you call a one-legged Big Foot? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. California's plan to save coastal homes from El Niño could end up killing beaches (latimes.com subscription) — Dana Point homeowners along Beach Road are rushing to install rock barriers as powerful El Niño-driven waves chew away at the shoreline, prompting 24 emergency permits for new revetments this month. The article explores how these short-term protections, plus major sand projects and rail-line defenses nearby, could ultimately shrink local beaches and force tough choices about which properties and public spaces to save.
2. What is a Kelvin wave? How underwater phenomena impacts sea levels during El Niño (fox10phoenix.com) — Homes along Beach Road in Dana Point have already seen serious storm damage, underscoring why residents should understand Kelvin waves as El Niño builds. The piece explains how these underwater waves can raise coastal sea levels, worsen high-tide flooding, and push storm surf farther inland along Southern California before impacts spread up the West Coast.
3. Newport Beach braces for more erosion as Hurricane Polo nears (foxla.com) — Dana Point is still recovering from Hurricane Marie's coastal flooding, with the city having declared a local emergency after homes along Beach Road were battered. As Hurricane Polo approaches, nearby Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are reinforcing berms and watching dangerous surf, while regional agencies rush to protect rail lines and brace for more erosion and rip currents.
4. Fighting Mother Nature, America has spent $15.7 billion putting sand back on beaches (boingboing.net) — Dana Point recently spent $440,000 to dump 13,500 cubic yards of sand on nearby Capistrano Beach, part of a broader scramble along California's coast to fight erosion. The piece explains how similar projects in San Clemente, Newport Beach and beyond offer only temporary relief, raising questions about long-term strategies and costs for coastal communities like yours.
5. Westminster School District Measure B: What you need to know before voting (laist.com) — Orange County's District 5 supervisor race will influence the future of Dana Point Harbor's long-running revitalization and efforts to protect the eroding South County coastline, while Westminster voters weigh Measure B, a $128 million school repair bond. The piece explains how the bond would affect property taxes, oversight rules, and arguments for and against new school construction funding.
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Ok Dana Point! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Hop Squatch! (Thank you Terri R. for sending it in!)
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