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Giant rockfall compromises Calif. beach route as waves pound shoreline

12 0
01.10.2026

A large rockslide resulted in the closure of the stairway down to Agate Street Beach in Laguna Beach, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026.

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — At around 6:30 p.m. Monday, a group of Orange County residents gathered with their dogs at the top of Laguna Beach’s Agate Street staircase. And as the orange sun dipped behind the vast Pacific Ocean, they discussed their battered, crumbling coastline. 

The night before, a massive hunk of sandstone had broken off just beneath the stairs, crashing into the ocean and muddying the rough surf, with no injuries reported. In a post on Instagram, the city of Laguna Beach said that fire and marine safety crews responded and closed access, and that a geologist would survey the site. The note also warned people to follow the posted closures and stay out of the area. 

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