Park officials get approval to start cleaning Capo Beach destruction

(FOX 11) - Powerful waves crash on to a battered Capo Beach boardwalk Monday afternoon.

"It's like a bomb went off, It's crazy. luckily no no one was hurt, the homes on this hillside didn't come down," said beach-goer Ross Johnson.

Last week's storm pummeled power polls, palm trees and shut down the beach.

This is an area that's suffered a lot of damage in the past - but beach-goers say they've never seen it like this.

"When you see it with your own eyes, it looks even worse than it is," says beach-goer Dan Vincent.

Monday afternoon, crews used back-hoe's to move large picnic tables to clear way for the clean-up crews.

They finally got a clearance from utilities crews Monday afternoon...meaning clean-up can start Tuesday morning.

"You'd think it would be something on the high priority list - it obviously has to be cleaned up," said Johnson.

Meanwhile waves hit dangerously close to the basketball courts.

"The sidewalk over here is falling in and I see cracks in the bathrooms so...it just shows the power of the surf and the tides are coming in," said beach-goer Robin Hall.

Residents now fearing the upcoming storm could strike Dana Point again...eroding a bigger section before crews can rebuild.

"There's a lot of erosion down here, the sidewalk down here and if it came up this far it could happen again," said Vincent.

An OC Parks spokesperson says even once they get this debris out of the way.

There's no chance they'll open this beach before the next storm.