Since Sunday, flooding and high surf have threatened homes along L.A. County and Orange County shorelines.
Approximately 20 homes directly along the seawall of the Long Beach boardwalk were evacuated Monday as high surf conditions continued to threaten residences.
Long Beach Firefighters went door-to-door, giving evacuation warnings for residences between 63rd Place and 67th Place.
Since Sunday, flooding and high surf have threatened homes along L.A. County and Orange County shorelines. Parking lots in Seal Beach and Zuma Beach already had reports of flooding, and water had started to flow into the streets of Long Beach as the effects of Tropical Storm Marie set in.
Sunday’s storm was the first measurable rainfall for over 4 months, ending a dry spell across Southern California. Long Beach Airport recorded 0.68 inches of rain, breaking the old record of 0.12 inches set on Sept. 6, 1971.
Monday morning, people rushed to take precautionary measures at their homes, from placing sandbags to boarding up windows, as residents were warned to leave due to the possibility of broken windows and debris flying into their homes.
With the seawall compromised, no one was allowed on the boardwalk, and the peninsula was closed off to traffic with the exception of residents.
According to the Long Beach Fire Department, 12 garages were damaged, and the Long Beach Building Department is still inspecting homes for soil erosion and any further damage.
According to Eyewitness News, Long Beach resident Sheila Jones said, “Homes are being destroyed. We don’t have a beach.”
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Many residents fear this is just the beginning of what’s predicted to be a super El Niño season.
“I think we probably have at least three to four more of this kind of thing to happen,” Jones said.
Tropical Storm Marie remains hundreds of miles off the coast of California.
As of now, there continues to be a high surf and coastal flooding advisory until 11:00 p.m. Tuesday for parts of L.A. and Orange County.
Large breaking waves up to possibly 10 feet are expected for south and southwestern beaches and up to seven feet for west-facing beaches. Officials also warned inexperienced swimmers to stay out of the water due to strong rip currents.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said to avoid water contact for at least 72 hours after rainfall. The issued ocean water quality advisory was set for all L.A. County beaches until 2:00 p.m. Wednesday.