Long Beach works to shore up historic boardwalk after series of storms
City officials are reinforcing the Long Beach boardwalk and bulkhead, tagging unsafe homes and outlining a multi-phase plan that could cost up to $3.6 million.
A succession of three storms since early September has further damaged the historic Long Beach boardwalk, causing a collapse between 64th and 65th Place on Seaside Walk. City public works and the Parks, Recreation and Marine bureau have responded by installing sandbags, rebuilding the berm and reinforcing the timber bulkhead to limit water intrusion.
Inspectors have red-tagged nine coastal homes and yellow-tagged one, indicating that the red-tagged properties are unsafe to enter while the yellow-tagged building has restricted use.
"The collapse began when Hurricane Marie came," Long Beach Fire Department spokesperson Melanie Miller said, adding that subsequent storms, including Hurricane Polo and Tropical Storm Rachel, have caused continuous damage. "We even deployed 3,000-pound sandbags, but you can only do so much during low tide; there are limited windows of opportunity."
Mayor Rex Richardson said the city is taking the situation "very seriously" and emphasized the need for substantial investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. He noted that the boardwalk is one of the oldest in California and that preserving such coastal assets will require significant funding.
The city has outlined a seven-point plan that includes immediate repairs, sand replenishment, additional protective layers and longer-term solutions. City manager’s office spokesperson Laath Martin said the plan was developed after Hurricane Marie and is being adjusted as additional storms strike.
"We are reinforcing the boardwalk with lumber and using 3,000-pound sandbags to deflect wave energy on the beach side of the bulkhead," Martin explained. "We have also accelerated the Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel Dredging Project, which will relocate sand and widen the beach by about 200 feet."
Permanent repairs to the bulkhead and boardwalk are expected to cost between $1.5 million and $3.6 million, funded from the city’s Tidelands Emergency Reserves. The work is slated for completion by the end of the year, though officials acknowledge that future El Niño storms could affect timelines.