Long Beach officials red-tagged nine homes and yellow-tagged one in the Peninsula neighborhood on Saturday evening after Tropical Storm Rachel intensified erosion along the coast, officials said. The city also taped off a section of the historic boardwalk near 64th and 65th Place, where waves breached protective barriers and undermined structures.
City inspectors assess homes daily as coastal flood warnings remain in effect through Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches until 3 p.m. Sunday, forecasting waves between four and seven feet. Mayor Rex Richardson said inspections are occurring twice daily and red tags may be downgraded to yellow if repairs are approved.
Immediate Impact and Response
The latest storm compounded damage from two prior weather systems—Hurricane Marie in early September and Hurricane Polo—which had already weakened the boardwalk’s protective bulkhead. Long Beach Fire Department spokesperson Melanie Miller said the cumulative erosion presents a particular challenge, noting that the boardwalk’s collapse began with Hurricane Marie and has progressed with each subsequent storm.
City crews deployed 3,000-pound sandbags and rebuilt berms to limit water intrusion, but officials described limited windows of opportunity during low tide. Richardson emphasized the need for climate resilience, calling the boardwalk a historic landmark. “This is one of the oldest boardwalks in California and lots of memories were made on that boardwalk,” he said.
Structural Damage and Evacuation Considerations
Video footage showed waves reaching second-story windows of homes along Seaside Walk, with sections of the boardwalk and building debris drifting into the ocean. Floodwaters submerged side streets and patios, damaging nearby properties. Eight homes were red-tagged as unsafe to enter, while one received a yellow tag, allowing limited access to retrieve belongings.
Inspections are ongoing, and officials have not yet issued evacuation orders, though they continue to assess the threat as another round of severe weather approaches. Richardson stated the city is taking the situation “very seriously” and monitoring conditions closely.
Historical Context and Long-Term Concerns
The boardwalk, a century-old structure, has been a central feature of Long Beach’s coastal identity. Its deterioration reflects broader concerns about coastal resiliency amid increasing storm frequency and intensity. City officials are evaluating the boardwalk’s future, though no timeline for repairs or reconstruction has been announced.
The National Weather Service’s warning highlights the immediate coastal flood risk, with forecasters advising caution along Los Angeles County beaches through Sunday afternoon. While the full extent of property damage is still being assessed, the repeated battering underscores the vulnerability of waterfront infrastructure to climate-driven weather events.