Harrowing scenes as California coast battered by gargantuan waves, residents ordered to leave

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Long Beach is scrambling to strengthen its vulnerable shoreline ahead of the storm’s expected worst impacts Sunday morning, with eight structures red-tagged as unsafe and another yellow-tagged, according to city officials.

The damage has been concentrated along the Alamitos Peninsula, where powerful waves battered homes, damaged a boardwalk and washed away sand berms built after previous flooding.

The city has deployed heavy-duty sandbags to support a failing bulkhead as officials warn that conditions could get worse.

“These kinds of impacts are not normal. They’re unprecedented for our community, and while our crews have been working hard day and night. Hundreds of employees and volunteers responding and mitigating impacts. These continued threats have brought significant damage right to our shoreline’s front door,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said.

The National Weather Service warned Saturday that the threat of coastal flooding would persist through Sunday, particularly during the morning high tide, when water levels could reach around 8 feet.

“Damaging sea-water coastal flooding is likely through Sunday, especially near the Sunday morning high tide where anticipated tide levels are expected to be around 8 feet,” the agency warned.

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“The most likely areas for damaging coastal flooding on Sunday morning will be vulnerable south-facing beaches,” forecasters added, highlighting Long Beach and Malibu as areas of particular concern.

The warning follows a fresh round of flooding that struck Long Beach and Newport Beach, with officials racing to prepare for more pounding surf along Southern California’s coast.

“It is not normal that we see this type of activity,” Richardson said. “Just in this season, this marks the third hurricane in just six weeks. We saw Hurricane Marie over Labor Day, which was followed soon by Hurricane Polo, and now Rachel is bringing with it more high tides, more surf, erosion that continues to cause damage to properties and damage along our coastline.”

An evacuation order has been issued for the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, where homes have already taken a beating. Richardson said officials would continue assessing whether the evacuation zone needs to expand.

The city has distributed 7,600 sandbags to residents preparing for Rachel, bringing the total handed out during three recent storms to roughly 15,000.

Officials have also restricted vehicle access to the Peninsula to residents, urging everyone else to stay away so crews can work.

“We’ve closed off vehicular access to the Peninsula for residents only,” Richardson said. “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.”

The weather service has issued a coastal flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches through 3 p.m. Sunday, along with a high surf advisory calling for 4- to 7-foot waves, dangerous rip currents and significant beach erosion.

Rain is expected to spread across Los Angeles and Orange counties Saturday night into Sunday, with showers potentially continuing into Tuesday. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are possible in foothills and mountains.

Residents and visitors were urged to avoid beaches, coastal walkways and vulnerable roads, and never drive around barricades or through floodwaters of unknown depth.