Homeowners on California’s Long Beach Peninsula were ordered out of their houses Monday after powerful surf linked to Tropical Storm Marie slammed the coastline, forcing seawater over a seawall and into residential properties.
The low-lying beachfront community braced for another tense night as high tides and relentless waves followed a damaging Labor Day weekend that left roads underwater, homes battered and protective sand berms stripped away.
On Monday night, Long Beach firefighters moved from door to door, warning residents in 20 homes along the seawall between 63rd Place and 67th Place that they had to evacuate for safety.
According to the Long Beach Fire Department, the seawall had suffered significant damage, and sections of the nearby boardwalk were also impacted by the pounding surf.
City building inspectors were dispatched to the area to determine whether the homes could still be safely occupied, as officials received reports of cracked and damaged concrete between some properties.
The evacuation unfolded as towering waves continued to crash over the seawall, striking homes and driving water and sand onto private property. Relatives were seen rushing in to help family members gather belongings and leave while the ocean kept surging against the waterfront.
By the time the weekend storms eased, several inches of sand and seawater had already pushed into coastal neighborhoods. In Long Beach and nearby Seal Beach, residents spent hours clearing flooded streets, debris and mud after ocean water overtopped the berms built to shield the communities.
The repeated impact also eroded the protective seawall, breaking off pieces that were carried back out toward the ocean by the churning surf.
Long Beach Fire Battalion Chief Jake Heflin said officials now need to determine how badly the waterfront infrastructure was damaged and what can be done to protect it from future storms.
“We’re going to have to do a real assessment on the boardwalk, the impact of this storm on the boardwalk, the impact of this storm on the waterfront here, and what that looks like — how we do this, how do we reinforce this, and how we build up, because this is just the beginning,” Heflin said.
For residents, the threat remained immediate as another high tide approached Monday night.
Long Beach Peninsula resident Rob Quest said the previous night’s waves had cleared the seawall by several feet, leaving residents hoping the measures being put in place would withstand another round of pounding surf.
“We just hope we will still have a house at the end of this,” resident Paula Attina told ABC7 as waves shook her home. “The entire house — it feels like an earthquake.”
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson warned that the damage could be a preview of more coastal threats ahead.
“The climate emergency is real. This is one event, but we have to be honest, this will happen again,” Richardson said.
A Coastal Flood Advisory and High Surf Advisory were both set to remain in effect through 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier in the day the mayor issued a cautionary post on social media.
“Listen up Long Beach! Due to conditions related to high tides, surf and swell, the City is temporarily closing some impacted coastal areas through the remainder of the night or and or until further notice,” he wrote.
