Long Beach declares emergency as Hurricane Polo swell looms

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach has declared a local emergency as the city works to repair damage and prepare its coastline for the possibility of more powerful surf.

What we know:

Powerful surf generated by Hurricane Marie caused significant erosion along the Long Beach Peninsula, washing away sand and damaging portions of the century-old boardwalk wall earlier this month.

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Crews are installing new planks along damaged sections of the boardwalk wall and working to reinforce areas affected by the surf.

Residents have also been preparing their beachfront properties by putting up plywood, shoveling sand and stacking sandbags.

The city council unanimously approved a local emergency at a special meeting Tuesday night, giving Long Beach more flexibility to move quickly on repairs, emergency contracts, supplies and preparations for additional high surf. 

One of the biggest challenges is the amount of sand that disappeared during the Hurricane Marie surf event. 

Between 62nd and 69th Place, so much sand was washed away that city crews cannot get trucks onto portions of the beach to rebuild the protective sand berm the way they normally would.

What they're saying:

Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica said the city will do what it can to protect public infrastructure, but homeowners are responsible for protecting their private property.

"It is their responsibility to protect their private property. We are asking everyone to get prepared, get your sandbags.

What's Being Done:

Crews are making temporary repairs to the damaged boardwalk and seawall while engineers work on a longer-term solution.

The city is also preparing for a $9.27 million Alamitos Bay Channel dredging project this fall.

The project is expected to place about 415,000 cubic yards of sand along the Peninsula, extending the beach approximately 200 feet from 72nd Place to 63rd Place and creating a larger buffer between the ocean and nearby homes.

The sand will come from the Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel. Material that has accumulated in the channel will be dredged and pumped onto Peninsula Beach, helping deepen the navigation channel while rebuilding the shoreline.

For residents preparing their properties, the city lists sand and sandbags at Long Beach fire stations 7, 12, 13 and 14.

What's next:

Hurricane Polo is not forecast to make a direct hit on Southern California, but officials are monitoring the potential for its swell to bring another round of large waves, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding and additional erosion.

 

Long BeachWeather