Laguna Beach officials have closed a section of the Aliso Beach parking lot after high tides and strong waves washed away sand and undermined a section of the lot.<\/p>\n
The temporary shutdown comes as Tropical Storm Marie in the eastern Pacific Ocean is expected to turn into a hurricane by Wednesday<\/a> and move toward Southern California, producing large waves, strong rip currents and some light rain over the holiday weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.<\/p>\n The storm swells are likely to create more problems for coastal communities that have suffered severe beach degradation<\/a> this summer.<\/p>\n Along Point Dume in Malibu, ocean waves have eaten away some 60 feet of sand, threatening a road essential to accessing the parking lot, according to the L.A. County Department of Beaches & Harbors.<\/p>\n In San Diego County, sections of Carlsbad State Beach have washed away, including the area in front of the Tamarack parking lot, forcing part of it to be closed.<\/p>\n In Newport Beach, strong waves have carved away so many layers of sand that they exposed long-forgotten remnants<\/a> of the city\u2019s infrastructure that lay buried under sand and water for many decades.<\/p>\n And now, Aliso Beach joins the list of areas confronted by erosion problems.<\/p>\n The temporary closure at Aliso Beach\u2019s west parking lot was announced by public works officials on the city\u2019s social media accounts, including Facebook <\/a>and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n City officials said on Instagram that city crews have removed electrical lines mounted to nearby palm trees that are at risk of falling.<\/p>\n \u201cCrews then removed some of the failed pavement and moved sand to backfill and secure some of the eroded edges,\u201d the Instagram post read.<\/p>\n The city said the lot will remain closed as staff monitor wave activity. They asked visitors to stay outside of the barricades and away from the eroded edge.<\/p>\n