This Southern California beach community is getting overrun by visitors

Date:

Share post:


Longtime residents and city leaders in Laguna Beach say this summer has been unlike any other.

Fleeing the scorching inland heat, visitors have flocked to this affluent coastal community by the tens of thousands, crowding beaches and, according to locals, leaving behind unprecedented amounts of trash.

“I’ve never seen the influx of trash, people, crowds, rescues, sirens in my entire life,” said Greg Viviani, a Laguna Beach native who runs the popular Instagram handle SoLagLocal.

In a video shared on July 1, Viviani emptied a trash bag full of beach toys and garbage that he collected in a single morning.

Laguna Beach TrashLaguna Beach Trash

Laguna Beach Trash

“This has to stop. This is killing our town, killing our way of life … this is ridiculous,” he says.

Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf hears the complaints.

“Since I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen so many visitors, and the people who have lived here 30, 40, 50 years have said the same thing,” Kempf told KTLA’s Chip Yost on Friday.

While the volume of trash is one way to measure the impact of soaring beach tourism, it isn’t the only one.

Laguna Beach woman berates beachgoers in viral TikTok video

According to Laguna Beach’s Marine Safety Department, lifeguards were involved in 1,800 more rescues over this July 4th holiday weekend than last year’s, marking a 400% increase. The number of ordinance enforcements was also significantly higher.

“Statistics in every category are exponentially [up],” said Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond. “You can attribute that to more people, obviously. Social media and other factors are driving the public to our beaches.”

Laguna Beach CrowdsLaguna Beach Crowds

Laguna Beach Crowds

Mayor Kempf says the city is exploring ways to generate more revenue from the surge in tourism. For now, she hopes beachgoers will be more respectful of the environment and the community.

“We ask that you respect the beach as if it’s your own. And if you bring things down to the beach, you take everything home with you, including trash,” she said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.





Source link

Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams is a writer and editor. Angeles. She writes about politics, art, and culture for LinkDaddy News.

Recent posts

Related articles

Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dozens of soldiers and police fanned out across a neighborhood on...

Up to US to decide what to do with decommissioned HAWK missiles, Taiwan says

TAIPEI (Reuters) - It is up to the United States to decide what to do with Taiwan's...

Beaver moon: How to catch the last supermoon of 2024

Stargazers can catch the full beaver moon on Friday afternoon and the final supermoon of the year...

Trump says he will nominate anti-'woke' Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary

By Phil Stewart and Idrees AliWASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has picked...

Passenger Sees Worker Unscrewing Plane Part Before Takeoff

Before taking off, a plane passenger spotted a mechanic working on the wing. Taylor Hilton says it...

Man escapes from SUV after driving into Canandaigua Lake from City Pier

CANANDAIGUA — A 19-year-old driver was able to escape from his vehicle and swim to shore after...

L.A. teacher obsessed over and abused teen student, authorities say: 'Her crystal meth'

A Los Angeles County school district teacher became so obsessed with a middle school student she's accused...

Archbishop of Canterbury resigns after release of damning report into child abuse

The leader of the Church of England Justin Welby resigned after pressure had grown following the publication...