Powerful waves tear apart Long Beach coast as scientists warn of worst to come

Days of powerful waves have torn away sand, damaged a popular walkway and threatened homes along the Long Beach coast, and scientists warn the destructive conditions could be a preview of what’s to come this winter.

On the Alamitos Peninsula, the force of the surf has left parts of the beachfront almost unrecognizable after waves repeatedly crashed over areas normally protected by a large sand berm.

Sections of a wooden walkway were destroyed, enormous amounts of sand were swept away and foundations beneath more than a dozen homes were exposed as the surf pounded the peninsula.

“There’s pylons and stuff that we haven’t seen ever,” one longtime resident told KTLA. “I’ve been here, like, almost 20 years … it’s all gone.”

The damage followed days of large swells generated by Hurricane Marie, which remained well offshore but sent powerful surf toward the Southern California coastline.

Dozens of residents who had been evacuated from their peninsula homes Monday night were allowed to return Wednesday after city building officials inspected 19 properties.

Eighteen were deemed safe, while one home remained yellow-tagged, meaning the resident can enter only to retrieve essential belongings.

One resident said water reached roughly knee level in the street during the worst of the flooding.

“The barrier held,” the resident said. “We got a little trickling water, like about 2 inches in the garage, but not as bad as we were expecting.”

City crews have since been working to rebuild the peninsula’s defenses. Bulldozers and dump trucks were seen moving large amounts of sand Thursday as crews worked to restore a berm roughly 10 feet tall and 4,000 feet long.

But the sand barrier has repeatedly been battered by the ocean since Sunday.

The destruction is raising concerns about how the vulnerable stretch of coastline will fare in the coming months, particularly as El Niño conditions strengthen.

One climate scientist named Daniel Swain told KTLA the recent flooding may offer only a glimpse of what coastal communities could face later this year.

“Unfortunately, this is just a preview,” Swain said. “It will get worse this fall, and especially this winter.”

Swain said the greatest concern is the potential for significant coastal flooding sometime between November and January.

For now, the city has not announced when the damaged beachfront walkway will fully reopen. The most significant impacts were reported between 63rd and 68th streets.

Dangerous conditions also remain along parts of the Southern California coast Thursday. A beach hazards statement is in effect, with dangerous rip currents and high tides approaching 7 feet possible during the evening high-tide period.

Residents and beachgoers are urged to use caution near the water and stay away from damaged or closed areas.