Long Beach Scrambles to Reinforce Shoreline as Tropical Storm Rachel Delivers Powerful Waves
Evacuations ordered and structures red-tagged as the city braces for continued coastal flooding and high surf.
Long Beach is actively working to strengthen its vulnerable coastline in anticipation of the most severe impacts from Tropical Storm Rachel, expected Sunday morning. City officials reported that eight structures have been red-tagged as unsafe, with an additional one yellow-tagged.
The damage is most concentrated along the Alamitos Peninsula, where powerful waves have battered homes, damaged boardwalks, and eroded sand berms that were previously constructed to mitigate flooding.
City officials have deployed heavy-duty sandbags to reinforce a failing bulkhead, and residents are being warned that conditions could worsen. "These kinds of impacts are not normal. They’re unprecedented for our community," said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. "Hundreds of employees and volunteers responding and mitigating impacts. These continued threats have brought significant damage right to our shoreline’s front door."
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches, which is expected to persist through Sunday, particularly during the morning high tide when water levels could reach approximately 8 feet. "Damaging sea-water coastal flooding is likely through Sunday, especially near the Sunday morning high tide where anticipated tide levels are expected to be around 8 feet," the agency stated.
The warning follows recent flooding in Long Beach and Newport Beach, prompting officials to accelerate preparations for more significant surf along Southern California's coast. Richardson noted that this is the third hurricane impacting the area in six weeks, following Hurricane Marie and Hurricane Polo, with Rachel bringing higher tides, stronger surf, and continued erosion.
An evacuation order has been issued for the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, where residences have already sustained damage. Mayor Richardson indicated that officials will continue to assess the situation to determine if the evacuation zone needs to be expanded. The city has distributed 7,600 sandbags in preparation for Rachel, adding to approximately 15,000 distributed during the previous three storms.
Vehicle access to the Peninsula has been restricted to residents only, as officials urge others to avoid the area to allow city crews unimpeded access for critical work. The weather service also issued a high surf advisory, predicting waves of 4 to 7 feet, dangerous rip currents, and substantial beach erosion.
Rain is anticipated to spread across Los Angeles and Orange counties from Saturday night into Sunday, with showers potentially continuing through Tuesday. Forecasters also warned of possible wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph in foothills and mountainous areas. Both residents and visitors have been advised to avoid beaches, coastal walkways, and flood-prone roads, and to never attempt to drive through barricades or floodwaters.