Governor Signs Emergency Declaration Following Asm. Diane Dixon's Bipartisan Request
by: Janelle Atienza
Published: October 19, 2026
SACRAMENTO...Governor Newsom has approved Assemblymember Diane Dixon's (R–Newport Beach) bipartisan request for an emergency declaration to address severe coastal damage in Orange County.
Assemblymember Diane Dixon represents California's 72nd Assembly District, which includes Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, and portions of Costa Mesa.
"With 37 miles of Orange County coastline in my district, I see what's at stake every day," said Assemblymember Dixon. "This declaration is a necessary step, but our coast needs lasting protection, not just an emergency response."
The damage is already significant:
- Flooding has hit Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Seal Beach.
- Laguna Beach has sustained millions of dollars in public infrastructure damage.
- A lane of Pacific Coast Highway near Crystal Cove State Park is closed because a cliff is collapsing.
- High surf damaged the Pacific Surfliner tracks in San Clemente, pausing rail service.
- Over a dozen oceanfront homes in Dana Point have been red- and yellow-tagged.
Following her visits to Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, Assemblymember Dixon met with residents of Beach Road and saw waves striking their red- and yellow-tagged homes. Along with Asm. Davies (Assembly District 74), she helped secure an exemption from $11,000 daily fines from the Coastal Commission, which allows residents to personally pay for boulders to protect their homes.
The state budget included $1 million for sand replenishment in Orange County thanks to support from Senator Strickland (Senate District 36). "This is the first step, not the finish line," Dixon said.
Beginning during her time as a Newport Beach Councilmember, Assemblymember Dixon supported Stage 13 of the Surfside-Sunset Beach Nourishment Project, the County's last major sand replenishment effort, which placed 1.2 million cubic yards of sand in Orange County.
"We need meaningful sand replenishment in Orange County," Dixon said. "What we have been given by the County in recent years has either been minimal or reactionary, often only after the Amtrak Surfliner is shut down. With significant sand replenishment, we can bolster our shoreline and prevent future damage."