Posted on November 4, 2026
By Wiley Jawhary
With El Niño expected to influence Southern California’s weather this winter, coastal communities across San Diego County are preparing for the possibility of more powerful storms, damaging surf and worsening beach erosion.
Recent storms and large waves have already taken a toll on parts of the county’s coastline, including Carlsbad and Oceanside, where advocates say restoring lost sand is becoming increasingly urgent.
At Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad, powerful surf and erosion have caused significant damage to a beachfront parking lot, disrupting access to the popular coastal destination.
The damage has raised concerns about how vulnerable the region’s beaches could be if additional storms arrive in the coming months.
Dr. Rosa Luna Niño, a postdoctoral scholar at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said El Niño has already shifted weather patterns across the Pacific Ocean, bringing wetter and stormier conditions to Southern California.
While El Niño does not guarantee an unusually wet winter, it can influence storm activity and contribute to conditions that increase the risk of coastal flooding and erosion.
The impacts can extend beyond rainfall. Large waves, elevated coastal water levels and high tides can combine to remove sand from beaches, leaving shorelines more exposed to future storms.
In Carlsbad, coastal advocates are raising concerns about the continued loss of sand and the potential for additional damage.
Amber Martinez, with Save Carlsbad Sand, is among those advocating for efforts to protect and restore the city’s beaches as erosion continues to threaten coastal areas.
Farther north in Oceanside, similar concerns have prompted calls for long-term solutions to preserve the shoreline.
Robert Ashton, with Save Oceanside Sand, said the organization is focused on addressing beach erosion through sand replenishment and restoration efforts.
The group has advocated for long-term strategies to restore sand to Oceanside’s beaches, where erosion has become an ongoing concern for residents and beachgoers.
Coastal advocates say restoring sand is important not only for preserving recreational beach space but also for providing a natural buffer against powerful waves and future storms.
Although El Niño can increase the likelihood of wetter conditions in Southern California, scientists caution that individual storms and coastal erosion events cannot automatically be attributed to the climate pattern.
With winter approaching, researchers are continuing to monitor conditions in the Pacific and what they could mean for Southern California.
For communities already dealing with damaged beaches and shrinking shorelines, the concern is that additional storms could compound existing erosion and create new challenges along San Diego County’s coastline.
