Storm season and the canyon
Laguna Beach is reached from Laguna Woods by Laguna Canyon Road, and Laguna Woods lies just over a mile from Laguna Canyon, according to the city. The roughly seven-mile drive changes with traffic, so we do not promise an arrival time, but emergency dispatch is available around the clock and a crew can be sent the same day when available.
Storm season is when this city's water problems show up. The city's 2024 climate vulnerability assessment says the largest mapped flood hazard zones lie along Rim Rock Drive and Laguna Canyon Road. It also says about a third of residents live in a landslide hazard zone, and that mild rain after the 1993 fire triggered landslides.
NOAA's summary of the December 2010 storms names Laguna Beach among the harder-hit areas of Orange County. After a heavy storm, water can enter garages, ground-floor rooms and crawl spaces quickly, which is where flood damage restoration begins.
Safety and preparation before work begins
What to do before the crew arrives
- Stop the source if you can reach the valve safely, and move people and pets away from wet floors.
- Stay away from outlets and wet electrical equipment, and call 911 for any electrical or gas hazard.
- Take photos and video of the damage before moving belongings.
- Lift furniture off wet carpet and place foil or plastic under legs to prevent staining.
When water is spreading in Laguna Beach
Stay out of moving water
Floodwater and mud carry debris. Do not wade through it to reach a valve or panel.
Shut the source if you can
For an interior leak, close the fixture stop or the main. For runoff, move belongings up first.
Lift valuables
Raise electronics, files and keepsakes. Move vehicles uphill when it is safe.
Call and note landmarks
Phone the 24/7 line and tell the dispatcher the street. Narrow, steep streets can affect where equipment can park.
Coverage
Laguna Beach on street-delivery ZIP 92651, including South Laguna, which shares the ZIP.
Dispatch
Emergency dispatch available around the clock, with same-day response when crews are available.
Permits
Community Development Department, with building permits filed through the city's online public permit portal.
Sewer
The City of Laguna Beach operates the sanitary sewer, with about 85 miles of gravity sewers and 25 lift stations.
Hillside homes and tight streets
The city's housing element shows 13,027 housing units in 2020, about 71 percent single-family detached homes and about 26.5 percent in buildings of two or more units. It also describes steep, narrow, dead-end streets. For a restoration crew, that means long hose runs and equipment carried from the curb, which affects how a job is planned.
Water that runs down a hillside does not stop at a doorway. Slope drainage, retaining walls and the grade around a foundation all matter when heavy rain finds a path into a house. We describe what restoration can do. Fixing a drainage problem is a job for a drainage or landscape contractor.
Who serves your water
Two water districts and the city split service. Laguna Beach County Water District serves most of the city, and its phone, 949-494-1041, is also its after-hours line. South Coast Water District serves South Laguna, and we did not find an emergency number for it. The City of Laguna Beach runs the sewer, and we did not find a published after-hours number.
LBCWD's latest report lists water hardness of 236 ppm, about 14 grains per gallon, from imported surface water. Hard water leaves white mineral film once a wet surface dries, which is worth wiping down after a leak.
Mapped flood zones and the 2005 slide
The city's assessment says the city contains mapped 1-year, 100-year and 500-year flood zones and participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Check the FEMA flood map for your address at msc.fema.gov, and ask the city building department about permits before repairs.
The USGS records the Bluebird Canyon landslide of June 1, 2005, in which about 350 homes were evacuated and 15 were damaged or destroyed. A slide is a geotechnical event, not a restoration job, but water damage often follows once a slope fails.
What we handle in Laguna Beach
Most calls are interior leaks, garage and ground-floor flooding, and drain backups. We start with emergency water removal and move to drying. Nearby, our Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills pages cover the other cities on this line. Mold that appears after a wet winter is covered under mold remediation.
Map of Laguna Beach, California
Common questions
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. A crew can be sent the same day when available. Laguna Canyon Road traffic and storms can slow any trip, so we do not promise an arrival time.
We serve Laguna Beach on ZIP 92651, the street-delivery ZIP that also covers South Laguna. ZIP 92652 is a post office box ZIP enclosed within 92651, so there is nothing to dispatch to.
Laguna Beach County Water District serves most of the city, and its number, 949-494-1041, doubles as its after-hours line. South Coast Water District serves South Laguna. Your bill shows which one you have.
We handle the water that gets inside: extraction, drying, cleanup and repair. A slide or a failing slope needs a geotechnical professional and the city's guidance.