Long Beach boardwalk damaged as storm remnants batter coast

Waves and high tides from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel damaged Long Beach’s century-old boardwalk, left eight peninsula homes marked unsafe and prompted evacuations along Seaside Walk, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The damage prompted city officials to close the boardwalk area, restrict vehicle access to the peninsula and prepare for more flooding as the National Weather Service kept a coastal flooding warning in place through Sunday afternoon.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that waves breached the wall along the Long Beach boardwalk, striking wooden slats and leaving parts of the century-old structure broken and inaccessible by Saturday evening.

Eight homes along the peninsula were marked unsafe with yellow and red tags, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Officials also posted a “No trespassing” sign to keep people away from the damaged boardwalk area.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued for residents on 64th and 65th streets along Seaside Walk, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Long Beach also limited vehicle access to the peninsula to residents only.

“We’ve closed off vehicular access to the peninsula for residents only. We’re encouraging everyone else to avoid the peninsula all weekend so that our city crews can have access and best perform this critical work,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Assistant Chief Jake Heflin with Long Beach Fire said officials were preparing for more hazards from tide and rain. “We're looking at an unprecedented high tide, potentially 7.8 to 8 feet, which is significant for this area,” Heflin said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Residents collected sandbags to protect properties as crews reinforced the area and monitored flood-prone locations from a mobile command center, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The National Weather Service’s coastal flooding warning remained in effect through Sunday afternoon, and officials said low-lying areas historically prone to flooding could also face risks.