Monster waves breach Long Beach seawall, flood homes and force evacuations

Heavy surf from the remnants of Hurricane Marie produced waves up to 12 feet that tore through the seawall protecting the Long Beach Peninsula, flooding streets and destroying sections of the boardwalk. The sudden surge turned a block of the neighborhood into a lake in minutes, leading to a mandatory evacuation for roughly 20 homes between 63rd and 67th Place. Homeowners like Evelina Mardirossian and David Black reported losing vehicles valued at $60,000, while others struggle to keep water out with sandbags and plywood.

Long Beach firefighters went door-to-door urging residents to leave, and public works crews returned with tractors to reinforce the sand berm before the next high tide. Residents also worry that ongoing erosion is compromising the foundations of their houses, and city inspectors will assess the damage before allowing re-entry.