Long Beach is working hard to reinforce its shoreline as it braces for the storm’s anticipated peak impact early Sunday morning. City officials have identified eight structures as unsafe, with another marked as yellow-tagged.
The greatest damage has occurred along the Alamitos Peninsula. Here, crashing waves have caused harm to homes, damaged the boardwalk, and washed away sand barriers that were put in place after prior flooding events.
In response, the city has deployed heavy-duty sandbags to stabilize a failing bulkhead, as there are concerns that conditions might deteriorate further.
“These impacts are unusual. They are unprecedented for our community. Our teams have been tirelessly working day and night, with hundreds of employees and volunteers trying to mitigate the damage. Yet the ongoing threats are causing substantial issues right at our coastline,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.
The National Weather Service cautioned on Saturday that the risk of coastal flooding could last through Sunday, especially around the morning high tide which might see water levels rise to about 8 feet.
They explicitly warned, “Coastal flooding causing damage is likely through Sunday, particularly near the high tide on Sunday morning where the expected tide could reach around 8 feet.”
Moreover, forecasters pointed out that the most vulnerable areas for potentially damaging coastal flooding on Sunday morning will be south-facing beaches, with Long Beach and Malibu being of particular concern.
This warning comes on the heels of a recent round of flooding that affected both Long Beach and Newport Beach, with officials hurriedly preparing for the possibility of more intense surf along Southern California’s coastline.
“This level of activity is not typical,” Richardson remarked. “In fact, this season has already seen three hurricanes in just six weeks. We’ve had Hurricane Marie over Labor Day, followed by Hurricane Polo, and now Rachel is bringing additional high tides and surf, leading to ongoing erosion and property damage.”
The city has already distributed 7,600 sandbags to residents for protection against Rachel, increasing the tally to approximately 15,000 sandbags given out over the course of the last three storms.
Additionally, an evacuation order has been put in place for the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, where homes have suffered considerable damage. Officials indicated they would keep assessing the situation to determine if the evacuation zone needs to be expanded.
Strict access rules have also been enforced, limiting vehicle traffic to residents only on the Peninsula. Richardson emphasized, “We’re asking everyone else to avoid the Peninsula throughout the weekend, allowing our city crews space to carry out this vital work.”
The weather service has issued a coastal flood warning for beaches in Los Angeles County until 3 p.m. Sunday, alongside a high surf advisory that predicts 4- to 7-foot waves, dangerous rip currents, and substantial beach erosion.
Rain is also forecasted to arrive across Los Angeles and Orange counties Saturday night and may linger into Tuesday, with wind gusts between 50 to 60 mph possible in the foothills and mountains. Residents and guests are being urged to stay clear of beaches, coastal pathways, and susceptible roads, avoiding driving around barricades or through floodwaters of uncertain depth.
