Coastal Erosion from Hurricane Marie Bypasses Defenses to Damage Southern California Beachfront Properties
Hurricane Marie and subsequent ocean swells have caused significant coastal erosion across Southern California, damaging beachfront homes and infrastructure. In Long Beach, waves have stripped away large amounts of sand, leaving a 15-foot drop from the boardwalk to the exposed rocks below. The city has lifted mandatory evacuations for most residents, though one home remains yellow-tagged. Beach crews are currently working to replace the sand and reinforce the boardwalk's seawall. Long Beach is considering a $14.5 million dredging project to extend the beach by 260 feet. Meanwhile, in Laguna Beach, the city declared a local emergency due to ongoing erosion and sand movement. Aliso Beach was completely shut down to the public as of Thursday, while six oceanfront homes on Ocean Way and Lagunita Drive were yellow-tagged due to seawall damage. Nearby Dana Point also declared a local emergency after heavy surf nearly swept away a home. In Malibu, a massive sinkhole opened up on Tuesday, leaving 31 properties red-tagged. Experts note that a powerful El Niño is expected this year, which may cause further challenges for the coastline.
Sources
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Laguna Beach declares local emergency as worsening coastal erosion threatens shoreline
NBC Los Angeles
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Effort underway to stop beach erosion after high surf from Hurricane Marie damages SoCal homes
ABC7 Los Angeles
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Waves ‘like cannonballs’: Residents return to battered homes, tattered boardwalk after tide recedes
Long Beach Post
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Waves demolished this beach and tore at Long Beach homes’ foundations. Why this storm was different
LAist