13 Long Beach Residences Red-Tagged As Storm Recovery Begins Along LA Coast

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach officials began shifting their attention toward recovery Monday after powerful waves generated by the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel battered oceanfront homes, damaged coastal infrastructure and forced residents from their properties, leaving the city facing a substantial repair effort even as hazardous conditions persisted along the Southern California coast.

Eight buildings containing 13 residences on the Long Beach Peninsula remained red-tagged and unsafe to occupy, while another building was yellow-tagged. No additional buildings had been tagged as of Monday afternoon, although damage to some of the affected properties continued to worsen, Mayor Rex Richardson said.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Richardson told reporters at a Monday afternoon news conference.

The mayor said the city was beginning the difficult process of helping displaced residents determine when they might return home, while preparing to repair the waterfront and strengthen its defenses against future storms.

The destruction was concentrated along Seaside Walk, where successive days of heavy surf stripped away protective sand, battered waterfront properties and damaged sections of the boardwalk.

ABC7 reported Monday that inspectors had limited opportunities between high tides to examine damaged buildings, some of which were left with exposed interiors and potentially compromised foundations.

Evacuations Remain As Crews Assess Damage

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect for homes in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, while evacuation warnings continued for nearby properties on 64th, 65th and 66th places south of Ocean Boulevard, as well as the 6200, 6300, 6600 and 6700 blocks of Seaside Walk.

Broader evacuation advisories were lifted Sunday evening for most other Peninsula residents, including those on Naples Island and Treasure Island. The Peninsula remained closed to nonresidents, with street closures beginning at 62nd Place, as crews worked around the continuing threat from high surf and unstable coastal structures.

Red tags prohibit occupancy until buildings are deemed safe, while the yellow tag restricts access and prohibits residents from occupying the affected property. Some protective sand berms constructed following earlier periods of destructive surf were washed away over the weekend, while damage to the boardwalk left debris floating offshore as waves continued washing around and beneath waterfront homes.

Despite the extensive damage, Richardson said no additional structures had been tagged as of Monday afternoon, although inspections and damage assessments were continuing.

Long Beach Launches Major Shoreline Repairs

City Manager Tom Modica said crews had begun moving approximately 45,000 cubic yards of sand to the Peninsula in an effort to widen the storm-damaged beach by about 200 feet, providing a greater buffer between the ocean and waterfront properties.

A second project, scheduled to begin during the week of Oct. 19, is expected to add another 50,000 to 100,000 cubic yards of sand, followed by construction of a low-profile rock barrier intended to provide additional protection. The emergency work also includes positioning heavy-duty sandbags weighing more than 3,000 pounds each to reinforce vulnerable sections of the seawall, with construction cranes being used to lift them into place.

Richardson said crews began mobilizing Monday for repairs to the damaged boardwalk, with work expected to begin Tuesday.

The measures form part of a seven-point coastal protection strategy that includes immediate infrastructure repairs, beach replenishment, additional protective barriers and the pursuit of longer-term projects and funding.

Richardson said three major storm systems in six weeks had exposed vulnerabilities along the coastline, warning that Long Beach must prepare for further severe weather during the El Niño season. The goal, he said, was not merely to replace damaged infrastructure but to build a more resilient shoreline capable of withstanding future storms.

A Different Picture Along The South Bay Coast

While Long Beach sustained extensive coastal destruction, the available information Monday did not establish a comparable concentration of damaged oceanfront homes in Rancho Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach or Santa Monica.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, the storm arrived amid continuing concerns about coastal vulnerability and the city's long-running Portuguese Bend landslide emergency.

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council proclaimed a local emergency Oct. 6 in anticipation of the El Niño storm season, a precautionary measure intended to strengthen preparations and emergency response capabilities. The declaration preceded Rachel's arrival and was not prompted by damage from this particular storm.

Farther north, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach were also subject to regional coastal flood advisories, although the information available Monday did not establish structural damage comparable to that reported on the Long Beach Peninsula.

Santa Monica likewise had no confirmed reports of major new damage attributable to Rachel in the sources reviewed Monday. The city has nevertheless been dealing with the effects of earlier coastal erosion, including beach repairs undertaken after September's powerful surf. In a Sept. 17 announcement, officials outlined work to restore damaged beach areas and prepare the waterfront for future events.

The contrast illustrates the uneven consequences of the latest storm, which inflicted severe localized destruction in Long Beach without producing a similarly documented pattern of damage across neighboring coastal communities.

Coastal Flood Threat Continues Into Tuesday

Although the worst of Rachel's impacts appeared to have passed, coastal hazards remained a concern Monday. The National Weather Service downgraded coastal flood warnings to advisories Sunday afternoon, with advisories for Los Angeles County beaches expected to remain in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that forecasters expected additional potentially damaging high tides Monday and Tuesday, even as the broader storm threat diminished.

Long Beach officials continued urging residents and visitors to avoid damaged beaches, coastal walkways and vulnerable roads, and warned motorists against driving around barricades or through floodwaters. Crews will continue monitoring the shoreline and assessing damage as recovery work proceeds.

Residents can register for emergency notifications through Alert Long Beach and follow official updates at longbeach.gov/emergency. For families displaced from the Peninsula, the immediate emergency may be easing, but the longer process of repairing homes, restoring the shoreline and determining when residents can safely return is only beginning.

City News Wire contributed to this story.

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