Home Care In Dana Point, CA

A 2.5 magnitude quake occurred close to Dana Point on Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS reported a tremor in the area at 3:06 p.m. (2:06 p.m. local time). The epicenter was roughly 19 miles southwest of Dana Point, at a depth of 7 miles. Seismologists first reported it as a 2.3 event, but later upgraded it to 2.5.

Did you feel it?

If you experienced the earthquake, you can share your observations using the USGS Felt Report form.

Closeby area rattled by two tremors over the week

In the past week, two quakes exceeding magnitude 2.5 have been centered in the region. Both were reported in the same area with the stronger - a 3.5 magnitude earthquake - jolting prior to this quake. The other, measuring 2.8, struck on Oct. 5.

What to know about earthquakes

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U. S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale. Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Earthquakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. They can happen anywhere, but are most common in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage.

What to do during an earthquake

If an earthquake strikes, it's best to protect yourself right away. Here are tips from experts:

If you're in a car: Pull over and stop. Set your parking brake.

If you're in bed: Turn face-down and cover your head with a pillow.

If you're outdoors: Stay away from buildings. Don't go inside.

If you're inside: Stay and don't run outdoors. Stay away from doorways.

The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say. "Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy," officials say. "If you're using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops." Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible. If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows. Once under a table, officials say you should hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it.

"There can be serious hazards after an earthquake, such as damage to the building, leaking gas and water lines, or downed power lines," officials say. "Expect aftershocks to follow the main shock of an earthquake. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel an aftershock."

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey

This article was generated by the CA Earthquake Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom. No human journalist was harmed in this experiment. You can report errors or bugs to [email protected].

After decades of meetings and plenty of hand-wringing, the mayor of the upscale Orange County city of Dana Point says the coastal community is closer than ever to seeing its long-held dream — updating an aging harbor without losing the local charm — turn into a finished reality. All it took was $700 million.

“I think that it’s long overdue,” says Mayor John Gabbard, who is helping to oversee the complete revamp of Dana Point Harbor. The long-awaited project is now well underway, and it’s already reshaping the area’s famous waterfront. “We are excited to see any investment in Dana Point, and the harbor is a very, very big one for us.”

Talks of renovating the town’s timeless cove — which dates back to the 1800s and namesake sailor Richard Henry Dana — and its more recent harbor began in earnest many years ago, and in 2018, a public-private partnership was mounted between the city, county and Dana Point Harbor Partners to tackle the giant project. The issue, everyone agrees, is that the original harbor (dedicated in 1971) was not only falling apart in places, it also couldn’t keep up with modern times. Boat slips were too small, accessibility was tricky and, economically, the waterside restaurant and retail area wasn’t as thriving as it could be — and that’s to say nothing of future-proofing the area for rising sea levels and El Niño surges.

In total, the harbor’s big redo stretches from Baby Beach in the northwest corner out to the Dana Point Shipyard along the eastern edge, with most public businesses tucked into the center in what’s known as Harbor Village. Much of the development work is being done at the structural level: bringing safety features and access points up to code and protecting the area from erosion and rising seas. The commercial area’s foundation alone is being raised by more than 3 feet to help resist water rise. In September, the city was forced to red-tag a handful of coastal homes due to destruction from strong waves and high surf.

Originally approved at $330 million, the renovation’s price tag has since ballooned to more than $700 million, Gabbard tells SFGATE — though with a new 66-year lease on the property, the Dana Point Harbor Partners have time to recoup the cost.

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Some vital businesses, like whale-watching tours and the Catalina Express that shuttles people out to Avalon, will remain open in temporary structures through construction. When complete, the new Harbor Village will hold more than 100,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space along with 1,115 new boat slips. It’s expected that the development will allow for more than 50 new businesses.

All that change requires, well, change.

For starters, many Dana Point residents have lamented the loss of local businesses that are either being removed or relocated — or are choosing to retire — along the waterfront. The Brig, a popular diner in the Harbor Village area, closed earlier this year after more than four decades, as did Beach Harbor Pizza, though it’s reportedly planning to relocate nearby.

Most notably, Wind & Sea, the 54-year harbor stalwart, formally closed in September. The restaurant opened the year after the harbor did, and has been a vital part of local life for many.

“We are deeply grateful for the more than half-century of continuous support from all the locals who have come back again and again to enjoy our establishment over the years,” founder Bob Mardian wrote in a goodbye email sent to Wind & Sea customers after the restaurant’s final night of service on Sept. 15. Just below it, in all caps, the email reads: “RUMMAGE SALE!!” as Mardian looks to sell off every remaining glass, table, frying pan and T-shirt in the place before closing the door. In 2025, Mardian also closed adjacent restaurant Harpoon Henry’s, ending what had been a 50-year run, over issues at the harbor.

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Gabbard, a two-decade resident of the town, shares in the sadness. The Wind & Sea has been “very much part of my life personally,” the mayor says, adding that he was “sad to see them go” after spending so many Sunday brunches inside admiring the ocean view. “But as far as the community at large, we will figure out a way to celebrate the history of the Wind & Sea and the memories that it’s had for Dana Point, for years to come.”

A few other popular properties are still hanging on for now. Proud Mary’s, first established in 1977 and rebuilt after a 2007 fire, is set to end its run on Oct. 31, as phase four of the long-running revitalization kicks in. But the real Halloween send-off party will be found nearby at Turk’s, the ultra-popular dive bar and restaurant that has been happily cluttering its dusty walls with old photos and random knickknacks since 1984. The loss of Turk’s (in its current iteration) is so acute that locals have resorted to stealing decor from inside — despite the fact that the place is planning to reopen in a new building once renovations are complete.

“Just because our location is preparing for renovations does not mean our collection is up for grabs,” reads a tersely worded social media post from the company last month.

“We want Turk’s to be Turk’s,” Gabbard says of the city’s plan to bring it back at a new site, “and not some sanitized version of it. It’s an institution in town, and [has] so much history that we want to see it thrive going forward.”

The biggest missing piece for the harbor remains its hotel component. Two anchor Marriott properties, an upscale 130-room waterside resort likely to be called the Doheny and a more casual 169-room lifestyle property built around surf culture called the Salt Haus, have long been planned to sit side-by-side just west of Harbor Village at the site of the Marina Inn. But despite their prominent placement in renderings, the properties haven’t been confirmed or paid for just yet. Developers want to split the land up into two leases, one for each hotel, in order to more easily secure financing, they say; a split board of county officials, in turn, wants cost and worker protections baked into any new lease.

If completed, Gabbard says the hotel component alone would bring “significant” revenue to the city. “If they’re to be developed, that’s $80 million over 20 years for us,” he said.

But formally, at least, that piece is still unknown. “We’re still hanging on to what happens with the harbor hotels, because that’s still up in the air until the Board of Supervisors makes the decision,” Gabbard added.

Others aren’t waiting. Just on the other side of Dana Point Harbor Drive, the 371-room Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa is undergoing its own multimillion-dollar phased renovation, and is expected to reemerge as the Ocean Cliffs at Dana Point, a JW Marriott Resort.

Originally, officials had planned to wrap up the harbor revitalization in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, especially with surfing events held just south at the famous Trestles break next to San Clemente. Gabbard now says that’s likely out of the picture. “The harbor partners are telling me right now it’s a two-year build,” he said, adding that early 2029 is more realistic.

It all adds up to a massive moment of change for Dana Point, the long-sleepy harbor town with luxury bluffside homes. Mayor Gabbard says he’s heard locals’ complaints about turning Dana Point into ritzy neighbor Newport Beach, but he swears this renovation won’t completely remake the place.

“Dana Point is not Newport; it won’t ever be Newport for a lot of reasons that go beyond this harbor,” he says. “We’re two different ecosystems, two different sets of concerns, two separate lifestyles, two different demographics.”

“The likelihood of us becoming the next Newport Beach,” he added, “or even becoming a Newport Beach light, is nonexistent.”

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Pearl Jam closed Ohana’s tenth year with a new drummer, Billy Strings, and Neil Young covers, after sets from Fontaines D.C., Pixies, and Rilo Kiley. Pearl Jam closed Ohana’s day three and a decade on the sand. Ohana’s final day at Doheny State Beach was a long, alternative-rock climb. It started early with a run of daytime sets and built through the afternoon toward Pearl Jam. The Ohana Stage started at 1 PM with Villanelle, and the big sets stacked up from there.

The day started with a set from Pluralone, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer. He brought a warm, melodic set of jangly, psychedelic-tinged indie pop to the afternoon. Klinghoffer, best known as the former guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and current member of Pearl Jam, played in a much quieter register. His music was a good fit for the sunny beachside setting.

Villanelle opened the Ohana Stage at 1 PM with a grunge-leaning set that suited a festival founded by a Seattle icon. The London trio formed in 2023 around Gene Gallagher, the son of Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, who sings and plays guitar, with guitarist Ben Taylor and bassist Jack Schiavo. They draw on Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and The Who, balancing lo-fi grit with big, hook-driven choruses. They have already supported Liam Gallagher on his arena tour, and opening the main stage on Pearl Jam’s day put them in front of the crowd they were built for. It was a loud, swaggering start to the final day.

Speed of Light took the Tiki Stage at 1:30 PM. Being one of the first bands of the day for the few hundred people who showed up early is never easy. A slot like that is about setting a mood rather than filling a field. The marine layer lifting and the sand was still emptier than it would be by dusk. They continued in Villanelle’s pace, giving the final day the kick start it needed to get the two day attendees fans to the finish line. The early Sunday mimosa crowd was small and the mood relaxed. Despite the low-pressure environment, the family trio ratcheted up the rock ‘n’ roll energy and kept the final day momentum moving up another notch.

Linka Moja played a half-hour set on the Ohana Stage from 2 PM to 2:30 PM, slotted between Villanelle’s early blast and Ecca Vandal’s high-energy mid-afternoon set. It was one of the festival’s true discovery slots, the kind of early billing where a newer act can win over a crowd that is still arriving. With the lawn filling steadily and fans already jockeying for position ahead of the evening’s bigger names, Moja made the most of the audience she had. Her smooth vocals charmed the mid-afternoon crowd, and she turned a casual, wandering audience into one that was listening.

Horsegirl, the Chicago indie trio, followed on the Tiki Stage with a set of hazy, restless guitars that suited the afternoon light. Their mix of noisy, melodic indie rock and deadpan vocals made for a sharp contrast with the sunshine, and it drew in a growing crowd. They’re a good example of the festival’s habit of putting promising newcomers early in the day.

Ecca Vandal took the Ohana Stage for a 3:05 PM to 3:35 PM set, and it was one of the afternoon’s most high-energy. The Australian artist blends punk, hip-hop, electronic beats, and heavy riffs, a mix that stood out on a day dominated by guitars and nostalgia. Her restless stage presence and genre-defying sound gave the lawn a jolt of adrenaline ahead of Rilo Kiley, and it drew a growing crowd toward the main stage.

The Format brought a hit of 2000s power-pop nostalgia to the afternoon. The Arizona duo, built around Nate Ruess and Sam Means, wrote bright, theatrical songs full of big hooks and bigger choruses, a sound Ruess later carried into the pop mainstream. Following the punk-tinged energy of Ecca Vandal, their set deftly flipped the mood toward crowd-pleasing, sing-along pop. It was a good fit for the beach: sunny, a little sweet, and made for singing along.

Rilo Kiley drew one of the afternoon’s most sentimental crowds at 4:30 PM. The Los Angeles band, fronted by Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett, built a devoted following in the 2000s with literate, wry indie rock that mixed heartache with sharp humor. Their recent reactivation made the set feel like a reunion for the fans who grew up with them, and the sun-soaked beach turned it into a communal singalong.

Pixies, the Boston alt-rock pioneers, delivered the loud, abrasive set that only they can, a reminder of how much of the day’s music descends from them. Pixies is one of alternative rock’s foundational acts, and its jagged guitars, surreal lyrics, and dynamic shifts shaped countless bands on the bill, including Pearl Jam’s generation of Seattle rockers. Booking them just before Fontaines D.C. and Pearl Jam gave the day a clear through-line, from the architects of alt rock to the bands that followed in their footsteps. The fans fortunate enough to be on hand were treated to Eddie Vedder joining them onstage for their rendition of “Wave of Mutilation.”

Fontaines D.C. followed with the 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM slot, two nights after their headline show at Hollywood Forever. The Dublin post-punk band kept up the intensity, with Grian Chatten’s brooding delivery and the group’s relentless rhythms. Playing a festival main stage as the sun dropped toward the Pacific gave their music a very different feel from the cemetery show, and the crowd treated it as a warm-up for the headliner.

Pearl Jam took the stage around 8:15 PM for what was their second appearance of the weekend and the first full set with their drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr. The night opened as Audioslave’s “Like a Stone” played over the speakers, a tribute to Chris Cornell. “Long Road” followed a video tribute to Glen Hansard, and “Daughter” carried tags from U2’s “Bad” and Hansard’s “Down on Our Knees.” Then the band moved through “Given to Fly,” “Why Go,” “React, Respond,” “Dissident,” and “Even Flow” – a strong mix of classics and newer material.

The middle of the night belonged to Eddie Vedder and his guests. Billy Strings joined him on “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” then on Neil Young’s “Throw Your Hatred Down.” “Running,” “Jeremy,” and “Black” came next, and Vedder dedicated the chorus of “Better Man” to Laboriel with a warm introduction. Vedder said that none other than a Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, had loaned them their drummer. “Alive” closed the main set, and the lawn sang it back at full volume. The encore began with “Setting Sun,” introduced by a speech from Vedder, then Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” with Strings, and a shortened “Yellow Ledbetter” to end the weekend.

Ohana’s tenth year ended the way it began, with Vedder’s generosity on full display: guests, tributes, covers, and a band introducing its new drummer to the audience that has watched them longest. Day three offered a deep alternative lineup and a headline set that felt personal. It was a fitting end to ten years on the beach.

The city of Dana Point has declared a local emergency after coastal flooding and strong surf fueled by Hurricane Marie severely damaged at least 16 beachfront homes.

City officials deemed nine oceanfront homes unsafe for inhabitants as of Wednesday night, “red-tagging” them — adding two from prior evaluations. At least seven homes are now “yellow-tagged,” city officials said, which indicate some structural damage. Only two had been yellow-tagged the day prior.

The relentless waves destroyed decks, tore down walls and appeared to flood several of the homes on Beach Road, part of the Capistrano Bay Community Services District.

No city infrastructure was damaged in the oceanic assault, but city officials said in a statement that its teams “will continue to coordinate with the appropriate agencies as conditions along the coastline are monitored and addressed.”

High surf pounded the region’s increasingly fragile coastline from Malibu to San Diego over Labor Day weekend, also causing a massive sink hole in Malibu and damaging a seawall, boardwalk and some homes in Long Beach. Experts say this storm may be only a taste of what is ahead as El Niño forecasts continues to strengthen, which tends to signal stormier-than-average weather.

Homeowners in Dana Point are working to install emergency protection from the onslaught of waves, including a boulder barrier, according to the statement from the city.

“Homeowners are just trying to do what they can to stop the wave action from further erosion,” said Karen Morris, the administrative assistant for the Capistrano Bay Community Services District, which serves the homes. She said the red tags don’t signal the homes are completely destroyed, but that they will require significant work to ensure structural safety.

DANA POINT, Calif. (KABC) -- More than a dozen homes were damaged in Dana Point after hurricane-force swells battered the coastline, prompting emergency efforts to protect vulnerable beachfront properties and leading city officials to proclaim a local emergency.

Nine homes were red-tagged, and seven others were yellow-tagged as a result of the damage from high tides and swells, according to a statement from the city.

Cleanup continued Wednesday as crews raced to rebuild a shoreline barrier damaged by powerful waves. Truckloads of boulders were placed along a stretch of beach in an effort to protect properties from pounding surf and tidal erosion. An excavator was seen putting the boulders, some weighing as much as 700 pounds, in place.

One of the red-tagged homes was demolished by crews after waves broke through the seawall. The district's general manager told Eyewitness News two more homes are at extreme risk.

Rafael Heredia, a homeowner who lives nearby, described the situation as "devastating."

"I just was looking at a house that I guess it was red-tagged and the city knocked it down," Heredia told ABC7. "I was told the residents were on vacation in Hawaii. So I can't even imagine coming home and seeing this, where there's no home," he said, gesturing toward the crashing waves.

Despite the offshore hurricane churning hundreds of miles from Southern California beaches, the surf it generated hammered homes in the Capistrano Bay District community on Beach Road.

"City staff have been and will remain on site to inspect damage and, when appropriate, place tags and advise residents to vacate homes that exhibit structural damage that make them unsafe," the city said in a Tuesday news release.

Among those watching the damage on Tuesday was Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Dodger Adrian Beltré and his family, as the deck of a home they had been remodeling collapsed into the waves.

Residents, officials debate coastal protection measures

Residents along Beach Road are at odds with the California Coastal Commission following the damage, which they say could have been reduced through greater use of coastal armoring.

"We have our emergency permits that we did from Coastal that we paid $1,600 for," said Natalie Driessen, a Capistrano Beach resident.

Driessen argued that additional protective measures could have helped shield homes from the ocean's force.

"If we all had rocks, the ocean would have been protected better, our houses would have protected better," she said. "I'm out of pocket right now almost $400,000 just trying to save my home."

Residents and the Capistrano Bay District general manager say they have sought permanent coastal armoring for years, including more boulders along the shoreline to absorb ocean energy. The Coastal Commission has argued that the approach accelerates coastal erosion.

"There's too much red tape," said Rich Holt of Holt Rock, who has worked in the Capistrano Beach community for years. "Instead of proper prevention, now it's an emergency. And this is the aftermath of what happens when people aren't allowed to protect their property."

Holt said boulder placement is typically approved only after residents obtain emergency permits, as at least a dozen residents did in the two weeks before the swell from Hurricane Marie approached.Recently filed emergency permits have been granted. For many, residents said, the approvals came too late because tides were too high to place the boulders.

"It's like getting an emergency approval to do weed abatement after the fire's already lit right? It's a day late and a boulder short," Holt said.

During a Coastal Commission meeting Wednesday, a representative from the Surfrider Foundation spoke in opposition to the use of emergency permits for seawalls.

"Every seawall approved sacrifices the beach in front of it. Those beaches belong to all of us," said Mitch Silverstein of the Surfrider Foundation.

The California Coastal Commission said it had teams working throughout the weekend to help process emergency requests. The agency discussed damage from pounding surf across the coast, from Tamarack Beach in Carlsbad to the sinkhole in Malibu, during a discussion about the impacts of El Niño.

"This is happening now and it will only become more challenging. This is our new normal and we have to meet it with urgency planning and action. One way we can do that is to prioritize sea level rise adaptation planning and implementation for all coastal communities," said Dr. Kate Huckelbridge of the California Coastal Commission.

"This work needs funding and it needs focus and it is the best path to protect our coastal communities and ensure that there will still be beaches left to pass on to children."

Huckelbridge noted that emergency permits require a follow-up coastal development permit review, during which the Coastal Commission conducts a full analysis of what is allowable under the Coastal Act.

Jonathan Warrick, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said erosion has increased as local beaches have lost sand at a rapid pace.

"Erosion has been much larger than in the past," Warrick said.

Local and state leaders have identified sand nourishment as a long-term solution for communities facing coastal erosion. Warrick pointed to regular beach nourishment projects near Huntington Beach, saying the added sand eventually moves down the coast and helps protect other shoreline areas.

"They nourish the beach at Surfside Sunset regularly every couple years or so and the sand is added because the Surfside Sunset area, that beach gets quite narrow. Well that sand moves down the coast to Huntington Beach and you're not reporting from Huntington Beach right now because it's not severely eroding," Warrick said.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley's office said it is pursuing funding for a sand replenishment project between Capistrano Beach and Doheny. She said the Capistrano Beach area has received about 100,000 cubic yards of sand over the last three years but needs roughly 1 million cubic yards.

"Why are we not getting more sand out here? It's really about the permitting. We can't get the permitting done fast enough. The bureaucracy is actually causing us to not be prepared for this kind of damage. This was predictable," Foley said.

Meanwhile, farther north along the coast, a massive sinkhole opened Tuesday in the driveway of an oceanfront Malibu home reportedly owned by actor Nicolas Cage, prompting city officials to declare a local emergency and order evacuations.

Just after 6:20 p.m., the city announced that a local emergency was declared and ordered evacuations for affected properties along Sea Level Drive as the sinkhole continued to expand and restrict access for residents and emergency services.

Evacuation orders were issued for residents of five neighboring homes along the private road, and the properties were red-tagged.

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