{"id":492157,"date":"2026-10-11T02:28:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/492157\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T02:28:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:28:45","slug":"long-beach-takes-action-against-tropical-storm-rachels-high-surf-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/492157\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach takes action against Tropical Storm Rachel\u2019s high surf"},"content":{"rendered":"

Local reporting when it matters. From evacuation orders to storm preparation, the Long Beach Post helps residents understand what\u2019s happening in their neighborhoods. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep this reporting free and accessible to everyone. Make a donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From his veranda on the Peninsula, VR Venkataraman gets a front-row seat as wave after wave fueled by Tropical Storm Rachel slams the bulkhead and sprays upwards, more than two stories into the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For now, his defenses are holding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In recent days, city officials and work crews reinforced the bulkhead with 12-by-2 boards and added vertical columns supported by wooden braces, riveted into the boardwalk at the angles Venkataraman determined would provide the most support. He\u2019s not an engineer, but he\u2019s acting like one to protect his Seaside Walk home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI did the geometry, figured it out, taught the crew how to do it, and did one with them,\u201d said Venkataraman, a former doctor who now owns an Indian-Mexican fusion cafe<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m a human being with adequate knowledge and experience of life. That\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He is one of many Long Beach Peninsula residents taking swift, creative action in an attempt to save their homes after high surf and tides from multiple storms have eroded beaches and battered properties<\/a> along the coast. On Saturday, though some residents expressed frustration that there wasn\u2019t more preventative action ahead of this fall\u2019s extreme weather, they said they appreciated how the city has sprung into action and partnered with them to salvage whatever they can.\u00a0Venkataraman praised Jake Heflin with the fire department and Cory Forrester of Parks, Recreation and Marine for their work to help him harden his property, as well as the support provided by Councilmember Kristina Duggan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a process of learning,\u201d Venkataraman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A worker drains water from Ocean Boulevard along the Peninsula in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, city crews continued to shore up beaches where sand was washed away as surf driven by Hurricane Marie pounded<\/a> the Peninsula last month. By morning, sand berms were piled up ahead of high tide. Other emergency repairs included pumping water off streets and filling in the exposed bulkhead with 1,000 sandbags. Storm drains appeared clear and were able to receive water from flooded streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an emergency, we act. We spend the money we need to. We protect life and safety, but then we record all of those costs,\u201d City Manager Tom Modica said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More than $1 million in one-time costs has already been spent so far, he said. The city will aggressively pursue funding from other sources as it undertakes a seven-part plan for near- and long-term resiliency, Modica said. The city is currently in conversation with the governor\u2019s Office of Emergency Services, he added.<\/p>\n

Venkataraman was not prepared last month when high surf<\/a> rushed into his ground floor and dumped more than a foot of sand, rubble and shells into his crawl space, he said. He was forced to rip out several feet of drywall and air out his home with 66 heaters and 18 humidifiers from Home Depot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The first storm flooded the bottom floor of VR Venkataraman\u2019s home, and it is under repair as a second storm hits the Peninsula in Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/p>\n

His first floor was still torn up when powerful waves charged by Tropical Storm Rachel arrived at his door again this week. But this time, he knew he had to take quicker, preventative action. He reinforced the planter on his lower level with wood and sandbags and bolstered the bulkhead with various supports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though he and his family evacuated and are staying in another home they own, he has been returning to his Peninsula residence during high tides to check on the reinforcements and evaluate what else needs to be done.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said he now hopes to reinforce the bulkhead on the ocean side, adding 2-by-4 planks for stability. And he said he will continue to periodically tighten the rivets on the support beams, as they loosen with each wall of water that crashes down.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other residents have also stepped in to buttress the bulkhead. On Friday, the sand berm protecting 62nd Place washed away, and waves \u201cbrought the whole ocean and sand down the street,\u201d said Marc Moore, who lives there. Once the water had receded, he started picking up 10-foot pieces of wood and digging them into the sand near the bulkhead \u2014 a DIY solution in the hopes of taking a bit of power out of each swell. \u201cEvery wave you can stop might protect somebody\u2019s home,\u201d he said. He added the city should have done more to avoid this current disaster, but now they were fully activated and working closely with residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stay prepared<\/p>\n

Sign up for emergency alerts<\/a> through the city\u2019s notification system, Alert Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Sandbags are available through Tuesday at these locations:<\/p>\n

Fire Station 7 \u2014 2295 Elm St.<\/p>\n

Fire Station 12 \u2014 1199 E. Artesia Blvd.<\/p>\n

Fire Station 13 \u2014 2475 Adriatic Ave.<\/p>\n

Fire Station 14 \u2014 5200 E. Eliot St.<\/p>\n

Claremont Beach Parking Lot \u2014 5400 E. Ocean Blvd.<\/p>\n

Be sure to bring your ID and a shovel or tool. Residents can pick up a maximum of 10 bags.<\/p>\n

Some residents said they were anxious for what was to come throughout the weekend; the National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning, and a high surf advisory on Sunday as rainy weather set to arrive threatened more damage. Flooding impacts could be the most significant the region has seen this season, according to the NWS.<\/p>\n

Eight properties were red-tagged as too dangerous for residents to remain, and several structures noticeably creaked and sagged as the waves continued to hit. City officials said they expect the coastal erosion and property damage to worsen on Sunday and throughout the El Ni\u00f1o season.<\/p>\n

Still, Venkataraman and his neighbors remained hopeful and focused on action.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may be a losing battle,\u201d Venkataraman said, adding he is not ready to give up. \u201cI\u2019m a warrior. I will fight until the bitter end.\u201d<\/p>\n

A previous version of this story included an incorrect number of red-tagged properties. It was updated to clarify how Venkataraman coordinated with the city. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Local reporting when it matters. From evacuation orders to storm preparation, the Long Beach Post helps residents understand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":492158,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[10648,131,133,132,395],"class_list":["post-492157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-el-nino","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-peninsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=492157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=492157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=492157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}