Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency ahead of El Niño

DANA POINT, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) - Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) is taking action ahead of what forecasters said could be an exceptionally strong El Niño winter.

On Monday, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency, allowing California to mobilize resources and speed up preparations in case of severe storm hits.

For some coastal neighbors, the concern is already real.

For weeks, crews have worked to protect homes along Dana Point's Beach Road from a rapidly eroding coastline.

Now with El Niño raising concerns about what this winter could bring, Newsom has declared a statewide emergency, a move homeowners here hope could bring help before the next damaging swell.

"It makes us feel good when we wake up and see that this morning," said Chris Rogers, a Dana Point resident.

For Rogers and his neighbors, the danger has already arrived. Powerful surf beginning late last month undermined homes and ripped away decks.

Rogers' home partially fell into the ocean last week, and Dana Point has since red-tagged ten homes and yellow-tagged seven.

"Right now, we have to figure out if any of it can be saved or if it has to be completely demolished," Rogers shared.

Neighbors are now racing to build a massive rock barrier under a temporary 120 day permit from the Coastal Commission.

"Each of these houses are paying somewhere between $70,000 to $100,000 for these rocks to be there," Rogers spoke.

However, it's only a temporary solution, and homeowners don't know what will happen after the permit expires, and the erosion is not limited to Dana Point. Farther north, Malibu is also dealing with severe erosion.

Newsom's emergency declaration allows the state to mobilize resources and prepare for a possible emergency

Through a virtual meeting, the Governor's Office explained what that would look like.

"Equipment is staged before floodwaters rise. Roads protected before storms cut off access. Rescue and communication teams ready before local resources are stretched thin," said Carolina Thomas Jacobs, Director of Cal OES. "California is not standing still. California is getting ready."

Beach Road homeowners are also hoping it becomes a step toward a federal emergency declaration and potential FEMA assistance.

For now, they're continuing to pay for and build their own protection.

"We're just getting started with what will probably be a very challenging season," Rogers declared.