Laguna Beach shop owners assess damage during break in the rain

More than a dozen Laguna Beach shop owners along Ocean Avenue took advantage of a break in the rain about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to assess the damage.

The floors of many of the restaurants, rug galleries and bars and clothing boutiques were covered in water, with mounds of sand piled up on their doorsteps.

Kelly Boyd, a Laguna Beach City Councilman and owner of the popular local watering hole the Marine Room, stepped over a barrier of sand bags and unlocked the door of his business to discover the wood floors were soaked and buckling.

“This is not good,” he said, shaking his head in dismay. "We cannot get flood insurance in town because it is on a flood plain.”

The flotsam on one stretch of downtown sidewalks included patio furniture, CDs and uprooted vegetation.

RELATED:

Homeless evacuated near downtown Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach man escapes injury after mudslide briefly traps him

Major flooding in Laguna Beach, mudslides in canyons as storm bears down on L.A.

-- Louis Sahagun in Laguna Beach

Photo: High tide and heavy rainfall in downtown Laguna Beach washed a small crayfish onto the muddy sidewalk along Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday morning. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Ron Michalla]

That's not a baby lobster, its a crawdad (crayfish).

[Pavel L.]

Such an unfortunate situation, especially around holiday time when you need the foot traffic! Don't just assume the insurance company won't cover your water claim as a flood claim. The only way to know for sure if there is coverage, is to file the claim and have a proper investigation completed.

[Zizibug]

I like the crab photo

[Bobby Mac Gee]

I'm glad I moved back to the Big Apple............

[Pat]

Kelly Boyd:
You cannot get insurance, not because you're in a flood zone - but, because insurance is regulated and that insurance companies cannot offer such products at reasonable rates.
If Lloyds of London could write policies on professional athletes, then they can come up with a formula for people in flood plains - it may be a high cost - but risk can be assessed and therefore priced (and then you can decide if the rate is then worth the risk mitigation... - they may charge more than you think is worth the risk - but you will never know until such an event like this on comes about)... But with government regulation, you don't even have that choice!

This is a very good instance of well intended policies with bad outcomes...

Government should not (never) regulate any business – it should (however) enforce basic laws of land (corruption, theft, etc…) Show me ANY industry that people are screaming for regulation, and I'll show you a government that did not enforce basic laws...

If companies cannot make profits, then they will cease to offer products & services… The California Dept. of Insurance is to blame.

[hymie60]

I agree with Pavel L. we had some flood damage a few years ago in Morro Bay, Ca. and filed an insurance claim. We did get a partial reimbursement, after intially being told it was "An Act Of GOD". All you can do is try.

[Michelle]

Hey Pat, its LACK of government regulation that has led us to the economic disaster that we are presently in. SO no, its not about regulation its about businesses (such as insurance companies covering their you know what's instead of covering us. Perfect example: Earthquake insurance. Premiums are high, the co-pays/deductibles are enormous, but even though we're in a high risk area: California, we do have the option to ge this insurance, so there is no regulation that prevents insurance companies from offering flood insurance in high risk areas. Just another excuse for you Republicans/lovers of big business to find yet another excuse for de-regulating everything.

[Greg]

I feel bad for all the shop owners. If you need help please let me know. Please contact through my website lagunabeachrollsroyce.com
Best wishes,
Greg

[Mark]

"We cannot get flood insurance in town because it is on a flood plain.” .... So the insurance company only sell you flood insurance if they know for sure that you will never be flooded. Wow ..how considerate the insurance companies are. This should become a law that they must sell insurance to you folks.

[Myke Mc.]

I'm not a crab!! I'm a crawfish.