At least 8 Long Beach homes red-tagged as residents brace for high surf
Long Beach residents brace for flooding
Long Beach coastal residents are preparing for severe flooding, high surf and plunging temperatures from Tropical Storm Rachel’s remnants.
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Coastal residents in Long Beach are bracing for severe flooding, high surf and plunging temperatures as remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel batter Southern California, threatening waterfront homes. This comes as several coastal cities in Southern California have already faced serious erosion.
The latest storm comes on the heels of a destructive September, when remnants of Hurricane Marie severely impacted the shoreline. Remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel have delivered another blow to the region, causing damage to the Peninsula boardwalk and nearby waterfront properties.
What we know:
At least eight structures in Long Beach have already been red-tagged. Officials have issued a targeted evacuation order and warning in the hardest-hit areas.
To combat the rising tides, city crews worked through Sunday reinforcing sand berms along the shoreline. Meanwhile, emergency personnel have established a centralized command post and pre-staged equipment across vulnerable neighborhoods, including Naples, to ensure rapid response capabilities throughout the city.
What they're saying:
Long Beach Fire Department Assistant Chief Jake Heflin urged residents across the area, not just those on the immediate coast, to prepare for potential flooding and stay tuned to emergency advisories.
"It’s really important that people are paying very close attention to those alerts and warnings, and that’s why we tell people to subscribe to those alerts and warnings," Heflin said, noting that emergency resources are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
Local residents are taking no chances.
"With the whole command center set up like this, and sandbags, it’s definitely crazy," said Long Beach resident Henry Starnes, who has already stocked up on supplies for his home. "I definitely have the sandbags, I have 10 in my house just to be sure. I might need a few more if it gets any worse."
Fire department officials advise anyone whose property has flooded in past storms to proactively pick up sandbags and prepare their homes for both current conditions and incoming weather systems.