It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, CA gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Los Angeles, CA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“I want to begin by thanking the owner Amy for being so helpful! She walked”
“Amy and her team are taking care of my grandmother and they are so communicative”
“As a staff member at Always Best Care Senior Services, I’m proud to be part”
“This company is a delight to work with , They are so helpful and professional”
“I love working With Always best care of Studio City, the owner Amy and office”
“I love working With Always best care of Studio City, the owner Amy and office”
“I want to begin by thanking the owner Amy for being so helpful! She walked me through step by step while I was already very stressed. Her patience was beyond helpful. We were sent Carmen to tend to my grandfather and she was a delight! Punctual, clean, and had great attention to detail. I must say her speaking both English and Spanish was a definite win. I would recommend ABC to anyone in need!”
“Amy and her team are taking care of my grandmother and they are so communicative and sweet. The caregivers really cared about my grandma too and my family and I trust. We enjoy working with them so much and they are also such a good source of support for me and my family, and my grandmother loves the company when we are at work. Thank you guys!”
“As a staff member at Always Best Care Senior Services, I’m proud to be part of a team that truly cares about the seniors and families we serve. The company creates a supportive and respectful work environment where caregivers are valued and encouraged to provide the highest level of compassionate care. Management is responsive, organized, and always focused on making sure both clients and staff feel supported. It’s rewarding to work for an organization that prioritizes dignity, reliability, and genuine kindness in everything we do. I’m grateful to be part of a team that makes such a positive difference in the community every day. ????????”
“This company is a delight to work with , They are so helpful and professional in our time of need. I highly recommend Always Best Care for your loved one , they go above and beyond.”
“I love working With Always best care of Studio City, the owner Amy and office manager Christina are a pleasure to work with. I love what I do, but the best part is that I have a company who cares for their employees.”
“I love working With Always best care of Studio City, the owner Amy and office manager Christina are a pleasure to work with. I love what I do, but the best part is that I have a company who cares for their employees.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local 71Above or visit Hollywood Walk of Fame, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Los Angeles, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Los Angeles, CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Los Angeles, CA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Los Angeles businesses and nonprofits have been clamoring for a way to benefit from the massive influx of fans and cash they expect from the 2028 Summer Olympics. Now some of them will get a chance to manufacture and sell Olympic-branded merchandise.The Olympic organizing committee, LA28, announced the Made for Two-Eight licensing program Tuesday — and its first partner will be Homeboy Industries, the nonprofit that operates what it describes as the largest gang intervention program in the world.Homeboy Silkscreen & E...
Los Angeles businesses and nonprofits have been clamoring for a way to benefit from the massive influx of fans and cash they expect from the 2028 Summer Olympics. Now some of them will get a chance to manufacture and sell Olympic-branded merchandise.
The Olympic organizing committee, LA28, announced the Made for Two-Eight licensing program Tuesday — and its first partner will be Homeboy Industries, the nonprofit that operates what it describes as the largest gang intervention program in the world.
Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery will make T-shirts featuring the Olympic torch, Homeboy and the official LA28 logo, based on a design by Fabian Debora, who leads the nonprofit’s Art Academy. The torch imagery is meant to highlight the upcoming Olympics and the 1984 L.A. Games, in which Homeboy’s founder, Father Greg Boyle, carried the Olympic torch.
LA28 plans to announce partnerships with a number of other local entities that will make a wide variety of items, such as stationery, toys, hats, magnets, candles and pet accessories.
The Made for Two-Eight program will first partner with manufacturers based in the city of Los Angeles before expanding to include the rest of L.A. County. Los Angeles is the home to more venues than any other city and whose government serves as a financial guarantor of the Games.
“With this partnership with LA28, we’re essentially announcing to Los Angeles and the world that our community is as deserving to participate in an event like the Olympics as any other community,” said Steve Delgado, co-chief executive of Homeboy Industries. “We believe in two things: that everybody’s capable and that we belong to each other. That’s been our message for 40 years and it’s a message for the modern Olympiad too.”
Delgado appeared alongside Boyle, Mayor Karen Bass and Reynold Hoover, chief executive of LA28, at a press conference announcing the partnership.
“We have to create a community of kinship such that God might recognize it,” Boyle told the gathering. “We can’t presume it. We have to work together, which is what this effort symbolizes and announces to the city. The games are for everyone and everybody is included.”
Homeboy, which provides jobs for current and former gang members, plans to sell the T-shirts at its headquarters near Chinatown and at its diners at L.A. City Hall, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital and Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport, along with its online portal . LA28 also will have the right to sell the shirts through its merchandising operation.
LA28 executives said they will find a T-shirt maker, probably near downtown or East Los Angeles, to produce the blank T-shirts, which will then be silk-screened at the Homeboy plant in the warehouse district near the Los Angeles River.
LA28 and Homeboy didn’t reveal the terms of their deal, but they said the Olympic organizing group will receive a royalty payment for each T-shirt sold, with profit going to Homeboy to support its array of programs including tattoo removal, counseling and job training.
Homeboy is expected to be the first of many local partners to ink licensing deals to use the local Olympic committee’s symbol — LA28 and the Olympic rings — on their products.
Other businesses and nonprofits interested in the licensing program must apply through the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement at RAMPLA.org, between Oct. 30 and February 2027. Those granted licensing agreements will be announced in July 2027.
“Our goal from day one has been to ensure the economic benefits of the Games reach our local neighborhoods,” LA28 CEO Hoover said in a statement.
“Fans will find products at our retail locations that were designed, sourced and made in Los Angeles,” Peter Zeytoonjian, LA28’s senior vice president of consumer products, said in a statement. “And local makers will gain a new channel to reach customers from around the world.”
The massive merchandising push around the 2028 Summer Olympics will also include global brands such as Nike and Ralph Lauren. “The goal here is to provide local businesses the ability to tap into the Olympics,” Zeytoonjian said, “but also give fans the ability to have different varieties of products they can select from.”
Homeboy’s Delgado said the nonprofit may later offer different T-shirt designs, or expand into mugs and other types of merchandise. Zeytoonjian said LA28 wants to have the program for local manufacturers firmly in place by the summer of 2027 so that its partners have at least a full year to market the products before the Summer Olympics open in July of 2028.
Few cities in California last week felt the full brunt of the climate crisis more than the small coastal town of San Clemente.The beach city at the southern end of Orange County for months has been dealing with widespread coastal erosion from El Niño-related Pacific storms that has threatened a crucial rail line and reshaped swaths of its beaches.Then, as the waves were still pounding, a fire broke out in the city’s bushy foothills Friday, quickly burning toward hillside neighborhoods and destroying homes in nearby...
Few cities in California last week felt the full brunt of the climate crisis more than the small coastal town of San Clemente.
The beach city at the southern end of Orange County for months has been dealing with widespread coastal erosion from El Niño-related Pacific storms that has threatened a crucial rail line and reshaped swaths of its beaches.
Then, as the waves were still pounding, a fire broke out in the city’s bushy foothills Friday, quickly burning toward hillside neighborhoods and destroying homes in nearby San Juan Capistrano.
San Clemente’s challenges demonstrate what more of California will probably face as the twin dangers of fire and coastal erosion converge this winter. Southern California is just entering its traditional fire season, and forecasters are predicting more coastal flooding and erosion from what is expected to be a severe El Niño winter.
“We’re in a crisis,” said Cameron Cosgrove, a 14-year San Clemente resident and a planning commissioner. “Our beaches are eroding and our wildfire risk is very high, especially during Santa Ana wind conditions. These are scary times and they require us to respond.”
San Clemente is a quintessential California beach town with bluff-top enclaves offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and famed beaches boasting some of the best surf breaks in the country. The waves are so epic in the “Spanish Village by the Sea” that it beat out all other California beach cities to host the surfing competition in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But the factors that make it such a desirable place to live and play also bring immense risks for destruction — sometimes simultaneously.
On Monday, firefighters were working to wash streaks of pink fire retardant off the streets and finish building containment lines around the charred hills between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Crows circled the blackened earth looking for seared animals to feast on. The smell of smoke lingered in the air.
“We lost our beaches and our trails within two weeks,” resident Rebecca Schwarz lamented as she stood with her partner, Todd, and their border collie, Bodie, surveying the Norte fire’s damage.
The blaze, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, burned across 570 acres and destroyed at least six homes in San Juan Capistrano. Many residents in the rugged, shrubby hills have spent years preparing for such a fire. Few expected it Friday.
In fact, just days earlier, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel had slammed the coastline and dumped rain over the region — although not enough to significantly moisten the bone-dry vegetation.
“It was windy, but there were mountain bikers and there were runners up there all morning,” said Todd Schwarz on Monday, gesturing to the trails around Patriots Hill, where a flag planted long ago by a Boy Scout remained standing.
Before the Norte fire erupted, much of the city’s attention had been fixed on the coast. Residents have been bracing to see what El Niño has in store this winter after an active hurricane season that has dramatically reshaped many of Southern California’s most famous beaches, including in San Clemente and adjacent Capistrano Beach.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center has said there’s virtually a 100% chance that the El Niño this season will be categorized as “very strong.” There’s also an 83% chance that this El Niño will be the strongest on record, going back to 1950.
Although many are breathing a sigh of relief with the fire under control, a new risk is emerging: mudslides. Roots that held the soil in place have burned and the vicious flames seared the dirt, limiting its ability to absorb water.
Some houses in the neighborhood already had piles of sandbags sitting on their front porches.
“Now El Niño is hitting us, and so now, what, do we have to worry about mudslides now?” said Suj Naran, a resident of about 10 years. “That’s our concern now.”
Even if it doesn’t result in torrential rain, El Niño can still wreak havoc on the coastline.
Beaches typically go through a seasonal cycle with powerful winter waves dragging sand out to sea and more mild summer waves depositing the sand back onshore. But El Niño winters generally bring even stronger waves, resulting in more sand loss and erosion.
Along San Clemente’s 4.7 miles of shoreline, coastal erosion has been a persistent and expensive predicament.
Erosion and slope damage have also caused problems over the years for one of California’s busiest rail corridors used by commuters via the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink and freight operations.
In January 2024, a landslide above the railroad sent soil and debris crashing onto the tracks at Mariposa Point, destroying the city’s pedestrian bridge and beach trail and temporarily interrupting rail service. The Orange County Transportation Authority and Metrolink constructed a 200-foot-long wall to allow service to resume and moved ahead with a project to enhance protection along Mariposa Point.
High tides over the summer resulted in train cancellations and emergency repairs to the rail line. The transportation authority is finalizing a study in the coming weeks that evaluates strategies for protecting the seven miles of railroad through Dana Point and San Clemente for the next 30 years.
But the effects of coastal erosion have been most evident at the beach. Without natural sand reaching the beaches, high tides and large surf have resulted in entire beaches being covered with water, cutting off access.
In 2024, the city added about 200,000 cubic yards of sand near the pier and 37,000 cubic yards just up the coast at North Beach, the first step in what will be a decades-long process of restoring the beaches. The effort was successful in widening the beach and protecting infrastructure including the city’s marine safety headquarters, but it was just a fraction of what will be needed long term, according to the city’s coastal strategic plan.
Coastal engineers estimate that it’ll take millions of cubic yards of sand to fully replenish the city’s coastline. For a small city, funding for such projects remains an unanswered question, officials said.
“San Clemente doesn’t have car dealerships and Costcos and big hotels — all the nice revenue-generating entities that other cities have,” Mayor Rick Loeffler said. The multimillion-dollar replenishment project in 2024 was funded through a joint effort by the federal government, the city and the state, which stepped up to cover a portion of San Clemente’s costs.
Next month, residents will vote on whether to approve a 1% sales tax increase for 10 years to fund sand replenishment projects, beach erosion control and fire protection services. A similar ballot measure in 2024 that would have funded sand replenishment, but not fire prevention, failed to reach the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.
“We’ll see what happens,” Loeffler said of the ballot measure. “It’s kind of timely with this fire that just happened. It reminds people that the fire situation is actually going to be worse than the sand replenishment if we get a big fire that comes through our canyon.”
Much of San Clemente’s hillside communities, past the 5 Freeway, are classified as being in high or very high fire hazard zones, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The city has already deployed goats to chomp away at invasive brush along the hillsides, but Cosgrove, who wrote Measure M, said more work is necessary to protect the community.
The ballot measure will provide funds for staging air assets and firefighters during high-wind events to knock down potential fires quickly, remove highly flammable nonnative vegetation from about 5,000 acres of open space and replace them with native plants. The measure would also allow for more community engagement to help residents better harden their neighborhoods and businesses, Cosgrove said.
“San Clemente was very fortunate this time because of the wind direction,” he said. “If the wind was going the opposite way, it’s unimaginable what could have happened. This needs to serve as a wake-up call to residents that we need to protect our town.”
Rain is anticipated for Southern California on Wednesday into Thursday as the National Weather Service cautioned about potential beach hazards and thunderstorms from Oxnard to the Mexico border.The weather service’s Los Angeles-Oxnard office is estimating a 30% to 40% chance of thunderstorms, with widespread minor flooding and debris flow concerns in L.A. and Ventura counties.Most areas, however, will probably experience only minor impacts from this weather, the office said.The area at highest risk for flooding is ...
Rain is anticipated for Southern California on Wednesday into Thursday as the National Weather Service cautioned about potential beach hazards and thunderstorms from Oxnard to the Mexico border.
The weather service’s Los Angeles-Oxnard office is estimating a 30% to 40% chance of thunderstorms, with widespread minor flooding and debris flow concerns in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Most areas, however, will probably experience only minor impacts from this weather, the office said.
The area at highest risk for flooding is the Santa Monica Mountains, according to a weather service spokesperson.
“Some of the more vulnerable areas include first-year burn scars,” a spokesperson said.
The Palisades and Altadena areas are among those recently scarred by wildfires.
As for rain amounts, the weather service in L.A. is expecting 1.73 inches of rain in Thousand Oaks from Wednesday into Thursday, with Oxnard at 1.53 inches, Santa Clarita at 1.47 inches, LAX at 1.31 inches, Covina at 1.29 inches and Long Beach at just under an inch.
At beaches in the L.A. County and Oxnard region, surf of 3 to 6 feet is expected through Thursday night on south- and southwest-facing beaches.
Tides are expected to range from 5.5 to 6.2 feet.
The weather service’s San Diego office, which monitors Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties, issued a beach hazard warning on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
The notice,, cautions about dangerous rip currents and breaking waves, with surf from 3 to 6 feet. The highest surf is expected on south- and southwest-facing beaches, according to NWS San Diego.
The agency is warning that rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea, while waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore.
The weather service is advising swimmers to “remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.”
The chance of rain on Wednesday morning and afternoon stands at about 53% in Irvine and Anaheim and 46% in San Clemente, while Ontario is at 44% and Riverside, 40%.
The chance of precipitation picks up, however, Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, with Anaheim, Irvine and San Clemente at 95%, Ontario at 92%, Riverside and Lake Elsinore at 91% and San Bernardino at 88%.
The National Weather Service in San Diego is warning of a potential 15% to 25% widespread chance, or moderate risk, of thunderstorms throughout all four counties.
A strong October storm was moving toward Southern California today, with forecasters warning of widespread rain, possible thunderstorms and an increasing risk of localized flooding.The National Weather Service said the approaching system could produce rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches in some areas, with heavier downpours possible and a flood watch potentially needed."A pretty potent storm for October appears to be headed towards southern California Wednesday and Thursday,'' according to the NWS.The storm, which was ...
A strong October storm was moving toward Southern California today, with forecasters warning of widespread rain, possible thunderstorms and an increasing risk of localized flooding.
The National Weather Service said the approaching system could produce rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches in some areas, with heavier downpours possible and a flood watch potentially needed.
"A pretty potent storm for October appears to be headed towards southern California Wednesday and Thursday,'' according to the NWS.
The storm, which was off the Oregon coast Monday, is expected to move south along the California coast before turning inland somewhere between central and Southern California on Thursday.
Forecasters said the exact timing and rainfall amounts remain uncertain because the low-pressure system is partially separated from the stronger jet stream to the north.
"In addition, assuming the storm drops as far south as many of the (computer models) are now indicating, there is an increasing risk for scattered convective activity and locally heavy rainfall, especially Wednesday night into Thursday, which means likely a large variance in rainfall rates and totals," according to the NWS.
Current projections call for at least a half-inch of rain over the two-day period, with most areas receiving closer to an inch and some locations getting as much as 2 inches.
Forecasters said locally higher totals cannot be ruled out if stronger showers or thunderstorms develop.
"Peak rain rates up to .75''/hr are certainly possible and a flood watch may be needed," according to the NWS.
The latest forecast represents an increase in concern about potentially hazardous rainfall compared with earlier projections, which had suggested that heavy rain would be unlikely outside thunderstorms.
Rain could begin as early as Tuesday night, although the greatest threat of heavier showers and thunderstorms is expected Wednesday night into Thursday, forecasters said.
The storm is also expected to bring a significant drop in temperatures following several days of unusually hot weather and powerful Santa Ana winds.
Temperatures began cooling over the weekend as offshore winds weakened, and additional cooling was expected Tuesday.
The NWS said temperatures would fall below normal Tuesday for the first time in several days.
Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be cloudy and cool, with daytime highs generally in the mid-60s to lower 70s across much of Los Angeles County.
Orange County is also expected to experience cooler temperatures and periods of rain, with thunderstorms possible as the storm moves through Southern California.
The NWS said the storm is unlikely to produce snow below 8,000 feet.
Marine conditions could also deteriorate Wednesday and Thursday, with rain, thunderstorms and isolated waterspouts possible in coastal waters.
Forecasters warned that thunderstorms over the ocean could produce lightning, gusty and erratic winds, small hail and choppy seas.
A beach hazards statement remains in effect through late Thursday night for portions of the Los Angeles County coastline, according to the weather service.
Elevated surf and dangerous rip currents are expected, with minor beach erosion and tidal overflow possible in low-lying areas.
Dry and warmer weather is expected to return Friday and continue into next week.
Forecasters said offshore winds could return over the weekend, although the anticipated Santa Ana event would be considerably weaker than the one that brought strong winds and unusually hot weather to the region last week.
Temperatures could climb into the 80s in some areas over the weekend, according to the NWS.
As ocean levels rise, waves crash farther inland and the coast continues to crumble, Southern California is on track to lose 30 to 70% of its beaches over the next several decades. Almost half of all beach cliffs are likely to retreat by 30 to 80 feet by 2100. And a 1.6-foot increase in sea level rise by 2060 will leave low-lying coastal areas including the ports and Santa Monica, Venice and Redondo beaches particularly vulnerable to floods and storms, with one estimate predicting 15,000 people exposed in Los Angeles County.Those are ...
As ocean levels rise, waves crash farther inland and the coast continues to crumble, Southern California is on track to lose 30 to 70% of its beaches over the next several decades. Almost half of all beach cliffs are likely to retreat by 30 to 80 feet by 2100. And a 1.6-foot increase in sea level rise by 2060 will leave low-lying coastal areas including the ports and Santa Monica, Venice and Redondo beaches particularly vulnerable to floods and storms, with one estimate predicting 15,000 people exposed in Los Angeles County.
Those are just some of the dire findings in California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment, a state-commissioned report that comes out every several years and details how climate change is expected to affect everything from public health to animal habitat to central touchstones of the California way of life.
“There are things in there that are hard to digest, and hard to wrap our heads around,” said Abby Edwards, senior deputy director for the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, which led the assessment. “I just hope that this can be a call to action to make sure we are still really doubling down on all of our climate mitigation goals.”
The report updates the picture for California’s hotter future with a projected 4-degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures and 50% longer heat waves by the middle of the century. Even more warming is expected farther inland where temperatures are already highest.
In the Los Angeles region, which makes up 43% of the state’s population and comprises Los Angeles and Orange counties and parts of the Inland Empire and Ventura, inland areas are expected to see the hottest day of the year exceed 115 degrees by mid-century. San Bernardino, which already saw August temperatures peak at about 109 degrees this year, is expected to see 120 days a year above 95 degrees, compared with 81 days historically.
Climate change is not expected to change average precipitation overall, but it will become even more skewed and sporadic, so wet and dry years both will become more frequent in California, and droughts will last longer. The increased heat means the state will lose about 40% of its snowpack by mid-century, an important water source from the Sierra Nevada on which Southern California relies. The city of L.A., which brings in water from elsewhere for the vast majority of its supply, will be getting 7 to 13% less in imports by mid-century because its other sources, too, are drying up.
The total area that burns in fires each year will increase dramatically — 50% by mid-century — without changes in land management. The effect will be strongest in the mountains. Native chaparral, the shrubby natural landscapes of the foothills, are becoming stressed and being replaced by grasses and other fire-prone invasive plants. Changes in rain and snowfall could lead to more seasons like the ones before the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, during which unusually wet winters fueled lots of green plant growth that then became tinder dry over eight months without rain.
And just as the Eaton fire set low-income Black families further back than those with more resources to rebuild, many of the changes in the state’s climate will hit the most vulnerable hardest. A legacy of discriminatory housing policies means many low-income communities of color live in the hottest areas farther inland. One in five people in the Los Angeles region are currently unable to afford to adequately cool their homes, and the report notes this will probably get worse as extreme heat ramps up and puts more strain on the electric grid.
For years experts have laid out different pathways for how the world could seriously address climate change. The report authors also looked at how climate change could play out differently if the world burns more or fewer fossil fuels and puts in place stronger or weaker policies. For most of their projections, they focused on the scenario considered most likely without major interventions.
Edwards struck an optimistic note about the potential for a different outcome. “The future is not predetermined,” she said. “This is about projecting out into the future about what could happen, and I think it helps us be really clear-eyed about the decisions that we need to make.”
When it comes to adapting to climate change, she noted examples of things California is already doing, including “huge investments in the state in extreme heat, and thinking about how do we put shade over bus stops and green schoolyards.” Many communities along the coast have developed sea level rise plans that include building seawalls and planting trees and shrubs to stabilize the coast, she added. And there is work being done around how to better capture rain and stormwater to accommodate changing precipitation.
“I think there are a lot of actions that we can take right now to prepare us,” she said.
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