Powerful surf triggered by the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel continued to pound the Long Beach Peninsula Monday, inflicting further damage on a row of already-devastated homes, but no additional structures were damaged and the city was already shifting its focus to recovery efforts.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson told reporters at a Monday afternoon news conference. “… But we are beginning the work toward recovery. So, for the families displaced from their homes, this means facing those difficult questions about when you can return to your home, what comes next. We’ll continue to stand with you and work with you to get those questions answered.”
Coastal flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service were downgraded Sunday afternoon to advisories, which will remain in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday for Los Angeles County beaches.
Richardson announced Saturday evening that eight structures comprising 13 residences had been red-tagged and another structure was yellow-tagged after waves pounded a portion of the Long Beach waterfront beginning Friday, in an area already battered by coastal erosion.
A red tag indicates that a structure is unsafe to be occupied, while a yellow tag allows a property owner to enter temporarily to retrieve belongings but prohibits occupancy until the building is deemed structurally safe.
Richardson said all of those restrictions remained in place Monday.
“Damage to affected properties continues to worsen, but no additional buildings have been tagged at this point,” he said.
Homes in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk remained under mandatory evacuation orders Sunday evening, while evacuation advisories were lifted for most other Peninsula residents, including those on Naples Island and Treasure Island, according to city officials.
The city announced at 6:15 p.m. Sunday that the broader advisories had been lifted, but evacuation warnings remained in effect for Peninsula residents on 64th, 65th and 66th places south of Ocean Boulevard, as well as homes in the 6200, 6300, 6600 and 6700 blocks of Seaside Walk.
The Peninsula remained closed to nonresidents, with street closures beginning at 62nd Place. Residents and visitors were urged to avoid damaged coastal infrastructure and follow directions from emergency personnel.
Some sand berms built after a previous round of high surf were washed away in spots over the weekend. Damage was visible to the boardwalk, with debris floating offshore as waves washed around and beneath waterfront homes.
City officials said 10,000 sandbags had been distributed to residents preparing for the storm, and urged residents and businesses to keep their sandbags for possible future storms. Sand and sandbag distribution sites were also activated at fire stations throughout Long Beach.
The city 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, officials said.
City Manager Tom Modica told reporters Saturday that crews had begun moving 45,000 cubic yards of sand to add 200 feet of width to the storm-battered beach.
That work is expected to be followed the week of Oct. 19 by a project to add another 50,000 to 100,000 cubic yards of sand to the beach, followed by construction of a new low-profile rock abutment. Much of the funding for the projects would come from Tidelands funds, according to Modica.
Officials said construction-grade cranes were being used to lift sandbags weighing more than 3,000 pounds into place to support the seawall.
Richardson said boardwalk-repair crews began mobilizing Monday, and that work would begin Tuesday. The mayor noted that the city is also looking to the future, with additional powerful storms anticipated in the coming months thanks to the treacherous El Niño conditions.
“We also know that this is one of the first three storm events during the El Niño season, which will not be the last,” he said. “So the goal here is not simply to replace what has been damaged. We will certainly make our infrastructure safe. We’ll repair the boardwalk. But this is about making sure that we’re taking steps to have a more resilient coastline in the years ahead for generations to come.
“… Three major storm systems in six weeks has certainly exposed vulnerabilities in coastal communities, and we have to prepare for even more severe conditions through this El Niño season,” he said.
Long Beach officials urged residents and visitors to stay off beaches, coastal walkways and vulnerable roads and structures, and warned motorists not to drive around barricades or through floodwaters of unknown depth.
City officials said crews would continue monitoring coastal conditions and assessing damage.
Residents were encouraged to register for emergency notifications through Alert Long Beach at AlertLB.com and monitor updates at longbeach.gov/emergency.