Long Beach, California, has been hit by serious coastal flooding and erosion as powerful waves battered the Alamitos Peninsula, damaging the shoreline and threatening beachfront homes.
The flooding was not simply caused by heavy rain. The main culprit was Hurricane Marie, which stayed offshore but generated a powerful swell that traveled toward Southern California. The National Hurricane Center warned that Marie would continue producing dangerous surf along the Southern California coast.
The situation became especially dangerous when large waves arrived during high tide. The National Weather Service warned that Long Beach’s Alamitos Peninsula was particularly vulnerable to coastal flooding, with high tides reaching about 7 feet.
By September 6, waves had overtopped the seawall and boardwalk near Long Beach, flooding 12 garages and damaging coastal infrastructure. The force of the waves also undermined portions of the boardwalk and threatened the structural integrity of nearby homes.
About 20 homes were evacuated as officials inspected possible structural damage. Residents and crews used sandbags, pumps and other emergency measures to keep seawater away from homes, but the combination of high surf, high tide and erosion proved difficult to stop.
The event is a reminder that coastal flooding doesn’t always require a hurricane to make landfall. A storm hundreds of miles offshore can still send dangerous ocean energy toward the coast.
Keywords: Long Beach flooding, California flooding, Long Beach California, Hurricane Marie, coastal flooding, coastal erosion, California weather, Southern California weather, high surf, storm surge, Alamitos Peninsula, seawall damage, beach erosion, Pacific storm