LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Long Beach officials have declared a local emergency as the city prepares for potential impacts from an expected El Niño weather pattern after high surf earlier this month caused significant damage along the coast.
The city is still recovering from intense waves generated by Hurricane Marie, which flooded homes, damaged sections of the boardwalk and washed away sand berms along the Long Beach Peninsula.
WATCH: Boardwalk damaged, safety of homes questioned due to Long Beach waves
Long Beach neighbors are assessing damage and preparing to rebuild after massive swells battered waterfront homes, damaging the boardwalk and eroding sand.
Among those affected was resident Tom Wurzl, who said floodwaters entered multiple parts of his home.
As he packs up his home, Wurzl said the damage has forced extensive repairs.
Wurzl, who has lived on the peninsula for four decades, said he had “never seen anything like it.”
Officials are concerned the recent damage could be an early indication of challenges associated with a strengthening El Niño.
“It is going to be a very wet winter potentially with very different conditions,” City Manager Tom Modica said.
Modica proclaimed a local emergency this week. Gov. Gavin Newsom has also declared a state of emergency aimed at mobilizing resources ahead of potential weather impacts.
According to the city’s proclamation, potential impacts from the El Niño season could exceed Long Beach’s normal day-to-day operational capabilities and require extraordinary preparedness measures, expedited procurement, additional personnel and contractual resources. The proclamation states that early preparation and the pre-positioning of resources will help protect life and property, maintain essential services and improve the city’s ability to respond to changing conditions.
“It allows us to move faster, allows us to be a little bit more nimble, allows us to procure things quicker and also move city staff around to be able to best prepare ourselves,” Modica said of the local emergency declaration.
City crews are working to repair the damaged boardwalk. There’s also a long-term, $9 million plan to replenish sand on local beaches, with work scheduled to begin later this fall.
Meanwhile, city officials are monitoring Hurricane Polo in the Pacific, which could bring another round of high surf to Southern California next week.
Wurzl said he expects to be out of his home before then and hopes the flooding caused by Hurricane Marie was an isolated event.
“That was, to me, an anomaly,” he said.
Modica said the local emergency declaration is expected to remain in effect through the remainder of the storm season.
The Long Beach City Council is expected to ratify the local emergency proclamation at a meeting Tuesday night.
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