Long Beach Peninsula already seeing flooding, damage as high tide, swell increase ahead of storm

Waves pounded a portion of the Long Beach Peninsula on Friday morning, Oct. 9, damaging the bulkhead, boardwalk and homes in an area that’s already seen significant erosion and damage over the past several weeks.

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It was a potentially ominous sign of what’s to come this weekend, as the strong waves from Tropical Storm Rachel are expected to continue through Tuesday.

Residents in the beachfront community were scrambling Friday morning to get more sandbags and check in on their neighbors as they worry about what’s to come as Tropical Storm Rachel moves toward the coast. City crews were also out, addressing flooding and placing sandbags in the most-impacted areas of the boardwalk.

To prepare for Rachel – which the National Weather Service downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm at 2 a.m. Thursday morning – the city rebuilt sand berms on Thursday, Oct. 8, after the last round of high surf in the area was washed away in some spots. But that did not stop the strong waves that remained persistent Friday morning.

At around 8:30 a.m. Friday, city officials said, they got reports of flooding in the area. The Peninsula beach shoreline is between 54th and 72nd places, officials said, and the most-impacted flooding area on Friday was along 62nd and 66th places.

Along one of the streets, residents were shoveling out their cars from all the sand that had made its way along the street gutters. Norma Bodman, who has lived in her home for the past 15 years, was out checking in with her neighbors along 64th Place.

“It goes all the way across, you can tell,” Bodman said about the flooding. “When we got up this morning, early this morning, the water was coming down both sides and it was meeting in the middle.”

Bodman said she hopes the weather does not get too bad this weekend, but she knows there are people she can rely on – from family to neighbors.

“We have good neighbors,” she said. “I think everybody takes care of everybody.”

Some Peninsula residents, though continued worrying and being upset at the way the city has handled preparations for these Super El Niño conditions.

“Bad planning from the city,” one resident said as waves crashed over the bulkhead and boardwalk on 66th Place.

The city, however, has had ongoing storm response and mitigation efforts since Hurricane Marie, which largely impacted the Peninsula. Long Beach leaders also declared a local emergency ahead of the El Niño and winter storm season.

“The Peninsula is experiencing unprecedented surf and swells that are continuing to put city infrastructure and private property at risk,” Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan said in a statement. “Our city teams are working between tides to repair the damaged bulkhead and deliver sand to vulnerable areas wherever possible. Conditions are expected to remain critical through the weekend and into next week.”

Persistent wave energy caused additional damage to the bulkhead between 65th and 66th places, with about 30 feet of the bulkhead experiencing significant damage, according to a city press release sent out Thursday evening. Crews worked during low tide to repair as much as possible while conditions allowed and fortified the remaining area with around 1,000 sandbags where the existing lumber had been destroyed by waves.

On Friday morning, more damage was visible to the bulkhead and boardwalk, with debris floating just off shore and waves washing around and under waterfront homes.

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With Tropical Storm Rachel approaching Southern California, a coastal flood advisory will remain in effect through 2 p.m. Tuesday for coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Forecasters said previously that a coastal flood warning may become necessary in southern portions of L.A. County beaches if high tides, swells and strong winds coincide.

Winds over coastal waters are expected to increase Saturday and Sunday, potentially reaching 20 to 30 knots and generating steep, choppy seas hazardous to small vessels. Forecasters warned that the severity of rainfall, winds and coastal flooding will depend heavily on Tropical Storm Rachel’s eventual track and intensity.

Showers could continue through Tuesday night, with decreasing clouds and gradually warmer temperatures expected Wednesday. In Orange County, surf of 3 to 5 feet, with occasional sets reaching 6 feet, is expected Friday along south- and southwest-facing beaches.

A stronger southerly swell associated with Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to arrive Sunday, potentially producing surf of 6 to 9 feet before decreasing to 3 to 6 feet Monday and Tuesday. Forecasters warned that strong rip currents, elevated surf and unusually high tides could produce coastal flooding and beach erosion, particularly in low-lying areas. Morning high tides approaching 7 feet, combined with large waves and increasing winds, were expected to create the greatest coastal flooding threat Sunday.

Los Angeles County beaches could also experience significant impacts, with forecasters saying a coastal flood warning may become necessary in southern portions of the county if high tides, swells and strong winds coincide. Winds over coastal waters are expected to increase Saturday and Sunday, potentially reaching 20 to 30 knots and generating steep, choppy seas hazardous to small vessels. Rain would likely hit the area late Saturday, forecasters said, spreading across all areas Saturday night into Sunday morning before rain chances shift eastward Sunday afternoon and evening.

“Rain totals through Sunday evening look to generally range from 0.1 to 0.5 inches across Ventura and L.A. counties, with up to around 1 inch across the San Gabriel Mountains,” according to the National Weather Service.

Showers could continue through Tuesday night, with decreasing clouds and gradually warmer temperatures expected Wednesday.

In response to the hazardous coastal conditions, Long Beach city and fire inspectors completed another review of structures on Thursday. On the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, the city issued preliminary red tags for two structures and one yellow tag for an additional building to ensure resident safety.

Combined with the previously yellow-tagged building from Hurricane Marie impacts, there are now four damaged structures, two red-tagged and two yellow-tagged. A red tag indicates that a structure is unsafe for entry and a yellow tag indicates that a building owner can enter temporarily to gather belongings but cannot stay until the house is deemed structurally safe.

While the city has been working to mitigate damage to the Peninsula, the impacts – including rain and potential high winds – of Tropical Storm Rachel will also be felt citywide, officials said. The city activated its sand and sandbag distribution sites at various Fire Stations across Long Beach on Thursday.

“Protecting our residents is our top priority as high surf and erosion impact our Peninsula community,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “I appreciate our emergency response teams working together to identify unsafe conditions and support our residents through these unprecedented storm surges. I urge residents to be prepared and follow City guidance as we respond to these coastal impacts.”

Community members are urged to get sandbags now and keep them through the winter storm season. So far, the city has distributed more than 7,600 sandbags in preparation for this weekend, the city said, and over 15,000 across the three recent storms. City officials also recommend that residents sign up for Alert Long Beach at AlertLB.com, the city’s emergency notification system, to ensure they receive up-to-date information.

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City News Service contributed to this article.