Hurricane Marie Swells B<audio|>tter Southern California Coastline, Damaging Homes and Eroding Beaches
Hurricane Marie generated massive waves and high tides that battered the Southern California coast, causing significant erosion and property damage. While the storm remained offshore, its swells reached as high as 11.5 feet and hammered beachfront homes in Long Beach, Dana Point, and Laguna Beach. In Long Beach, waves breached sand berms and damaged the boardwalk, prompting the evacuation of approximately 20 homes. In Dana Point, the surf caused significant damage to the Capistrano Bay District, where several homes were red-tagged or yellow-tagged. Maintenance crews and lifeguards worked to mitigate the damage. In Long Beach, crews reinforced a 4,000-foot berm to protect the shoreline. In Dana Point, boulders were placed to absorb ocean energy. Lifeguards in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach recorded hundreds of rescues during the holiday weekend as beachgoers navigated treacherous conditions. Geologists and local officials noted that the erosion is more severe than in recent years. Experts indicated that the coming El Niño winter may further impact the coast, as the beaches are already in a weakened state from the hurricane's force.
Sources
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‘Never seen something like this’: Huge waves from hurricane blast Southern California beaches
San Francisco Chronicle
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9 homes red-tagged, 7 yellow-tagged in Dana Point as crews work to rebuild shoreline barrier battered by strong waves
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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Hurricane Marie destroys beaches, homes and prompts hundreds of rescues
Orange County Register