Long Beach Homes Marked Unsafe as Tropical Storm Rachel Pounds the Southern California Coast
City crews are reinforcing seawalls and sand barriers as officials say 8 structures were red-tagged and 1 was yellow-tagged after damaging surf.
- On Saturday, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced that inspectors red-tagged eight structures, covering 13 addresses, as severe coastal flooding from Tropical Storm Rachel rendered them unsafe to enter.
- Tropical Storm Rachel, the third storm impacting the region in six weeks, is driving powerful swells that have breached seawalls and washed away sand berms along vulnerable coastlines. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning through Sunday.
- Crews are using construction cranes to drop massive 3,000 lb. sandbags to support failing bulkheads, while the city has distributed 10,000 sandbags to residents. Officials remain unsure how much of the estimated $1 million spent on emergency response will be reimbursed by state and federal disaster relief funds.
- Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for homes on Seaside Walk through Tuesday, with Mayor Rex Richardson stating, "These kinds of impacts are not normal." Authorities urge beachgoers to stay out of the water and avoid driving through flooded roads.
- City Manager Tom Modica reported crews moved 45,000 cubic yards of sand to add 200 feet of beach width, with a follow-up project starting the week of Oct. 19 to add up to 100,000 cubic yards and install a new low-profile rock abutment.
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Why California suffered major coastal damage after Rachel weakened
Tropical Storm Rachel weakened before reaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, but the storm still left a trail of damage along Southern California’s coast as powerful waves battered beaches, damaged homes and washed away parts of a historic boardwalk.
Huge waves have damaged the California coast. In the Long Beach area, eight buildings have been declared life-threatening, and several residents have been evacuated.
High waves, shifting sand, and wobbly houses. Tropical Storm Rachel brought hardship to coastal areas in California. Seawater surged into homes and roads, and many buildings were declared unsafe.
The images taken from the drone show the violent tides that hit Long Beach and Oceanside, in southern California: the waves break on the houses overlooking the ocean and invade the coastal roads. The US weather service had issued an alert for dangerous waves and possible floods, caused by the high tide and disturbances associated with the tropical storm Rachel.
The Independent
The Independent (US)California coastline braces for more flooding as communities grapple with damage
‘We didn't expect the swell to hit this early. We've been in the planning stages for the past few weeks, but this hit a little earlier because of Hurricane Rachel,’ an official said
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