Waves pounded a portion of the Long Beach waterfront Friday, damaging a boardwalk and homes in an area already battered by coastal erosion, with city officials reporting five damaged structures and warning that the worst conditions may still be ahead.
The city reported Friday afternoon that two structures had been red-tagged and three others yellow-tagged, restricting access to the damaged buildings along the Alamitos Peninsula.
“Building crews are currently assessing damage and impacts seen from wave activity this morning,” Laath Martin, a spokesman for the city, told City News Service. “Currently there are two red tags and three yellow tags. We will provide updates once crews have completed their assessments.”
A red tag indicates that a structure is unsafe for entry, while a yellow tag allows a property owner to enter temporarily to retrieve belongings but prohibits occupancy until the building is deemed structurally safe.
Images broadcast from the Alamitos Peninsula area near Alamitos Channel, which separates Long Beach from Seal Beach across the Orange County line, showed waves crashing over a seawall and the boardwalk behind it and flowing through to East Ocean Boulevard.
Some sand berms built after the previous round of high surf were washed away in spots. Damage was visible to the boardwalk, with debris floating offshore as waves washed around and beneath waterfront homes.
City officials said 7,600 sandbags had been distributed to residents preparing for the latest storm, bringing the total distributed during three recent storms to approximately 15,000.
Sand and sandbag distribution sites have also been activated at fire stations throughout Long Beach as officials prepare for additional impacts from Tropical Storm Rachel.
The city has developed a seven-point plan to strengthen protection of the Alamitos Peninsula, including repairing damaged infrastructure, replenishing beach sand, creating additional protective barriers and pursuing longer-term coastal protection projects and funding.
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.
“Moderate flooding of sea water is likely over some vulnerable low-lying coastal areas, especially around the time of high tide, including over beach parking lots, bike paths, and harbor walkways,” according to a National Weather Service statement issued Friday afternoon. “Moderate to significant beach erosion is likely. Isolated damage is possible in most vulnerable areas, such as the Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach.”
Forecasters said the advisory could become a coastal flood warning in southern portions of Los Angeles 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.
“The greatest risk for coastal flooding is on Sunday, when extreme tides, large waves, and strong winds could all peak together,” according to the weather service. “A targeted Coastal Flood Warning may be considered if future guidance increases the chance of an extreme scenario.”
High tides of 7 to 7.6 feet will be common each morning through Tuesday, with large secondary high tides in the evening hours each day, according to the NWS.
Forecasters cautioned that the severity of rainfall, winds and coastal flooding will depend heavily on Rachel’s eventual track and intensity.
Rain is expected to spread across the region Saturday night into Sunday morning, with showers potentially continuing through Tuesday night.
“Rain totals through Sunday evening look to generally range from .1-.5 inches across Ventura/LA counties with up to around 1 inch across the San Gabriel Mountains” according to the National Weather Service.
The latest damage follows an earlier round of high surf that battered homes along the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, prompting city and fire inspectors to evaluate the structures.
Long Beach officials said crews will continue monitoring conditions and assessing damage as the storm approaches.
Residents were encouraged to register for emergency notifications through Alert Long Beach at AlertLB.com and monitor updates at longbeach.gov/emergency.