Laguna Beach, Calif., Businesses Reopen After Xmas Floods
Floods and mudslides on the night of Dec. 22 and the early morning of Dec. 23 destroyed Christmas business for many retailers in the exclusive beachside town of Laguna Beach, Calif., located more than 50 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.
Businesses and shops in the wealthy city’s downtown area reported mud-caked shop floors after the flood. The city suffered more than $10 million in damages, according to a statement on the city’s website. However, once the sun started shining again on Dec. 26, crowds of shoppers returned to Laguna Beach, said Alan Hall, owner of the Muse contemporary fashion boutique, located at 300 Forest Ave.
“There are a lot of people walking about today,” Hall said on Dec. 28, when weather was a sunny 63 degrees Fahrenheit. “It’s a novelty thing. People are coming to check us out to see what happened.”
The city of Laguna Beach reacted quickly to the disaster, he said. Street sweepers cleared the street after 4 a.m. on Dec. 23, and municipal trucks employed heavy machinery to suck up water and mud clogging the streets. By the next day, the downtown area was ready to get back to business, Hall said.
“This week we are doing very well. The weather is nice, and a lot of people are on vacation. It is making up for the disaster that happened last week,” he said.
Laguna Beach shop owner Rolando Ortiz also said tourists from the snowy East Coast had decamped in Laguna and were shopping. “Things are getting back to normal,” said Ortiz, who is the owner/designer of EuroPapi MotorcycleStreetwear boutique, located at 688 S. Coast Highway.—Andrew Asch
