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LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Large waves and rising surf generated by Tropical Storm Rachel battered parts of the Southern California coastline Thursday, prompting preparations in vulnerable beach communities as forecasters warned of continued rough conditions through the weekend.
Read more Homes red-tagged as one teeters near ocean in Long Beach with continued high surf from Rachel
A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday for beaches in Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties as Tropical Storm Rachel brings swells of up to 6 feet to the coast.
Video from Long Beach showed waves crashing against the shoreline and seawall as Rachel churned offshore toward Southern California. Water splashed several stories high in some areas as high surf pounded the coast.
Across the region, coastal communities experienced impacts from the storm. In Malibu, surfers took advantage of the strong surf conditions. In Laguna Beach, intense waves caused flooding earlier in the day along Pacific Coast Highway. In Dana Point, water rose toward homes along Capistrano Beach, the same area where several houses were damaged last month.
Long Beach appeared among the hardest-hit areas, where powerful waves battered the peninsula and slammed into a boarded-up boardwalk. Residents watched as high tide and large swells threatened homes near the shoreline.
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City officials made thousands of sandbags available to residents ahead of the storm’s expected impacts. The distribution was limited to 10 bags per vehicle, with lifeguards and firefighters filling and handing them out throughout the day.
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“We want to remind residents this weekend the weather is going to change so if you are in the low lying areas, any area that has been impacted by flooding before, come and grab some sandbags,” said Melanie Miller of the Long Beach Fire Department.
“We have activated all of our fire stations that have sandbags available and specifically station 7, 12, 13 and 14 that have sand available for our residents,” she added.
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Residents along the coast lined up to collect sandbags and prepare their properties for possible flooding and additional surf damage.
“I was so grateful to see these guys here. Such a blessing. Our house is backed up right to a waterway so the fear is that we just don’t know where the water is gonna go and we just don’t want it coming into our homes,” said Long Beach resident Melissa Rose.
Long Beach building and safety officials spent the day surveying homes to determine whether any might need to be yellow- or red-tagged. Crews also worked into the evening reinforcing beach berms and filling additional sandbags ahead of possible rain and more coastal impacts from Rachel.
The coastline has already endured multiple recent storms, and some residents expressed concern about what another round of high surf could bring.
Marilyn Flint, whose family has owned a peninsula home for decades, said she and her neighbors had installed sandbags to help keep out the surf. She said she hopes the precautions will be enough to protect the family’s 105-year-old house.
“I don’t think you ever feel ready but we’ve done everything we can, I think,” Flint said.
Residents said recent storms have taken a toll on the coastline, with some noting significant beach erosion in recent years. As Tropical Storm Rachel continues moving toward the region, officials are urging people in flood-prone areas to take precautions and prepare for changing coastal conditions through the weekend.
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