Hurricane Swell Emergency
Long Beach Declares Emergency as Hurricane Polo Threatens Southern California Coast
Anonymous
Southern California is bracing for powerful surf from Hurricane Polo, with forecasters warning of possible coastal flooding and further beach erosion Monday and Tuesday, though the storms’ paths and the likelihood of rain remain uncertain. Long Beach has declared a local emergency, giving officials more flexibility to speed repairs and prepare after Hurricane Marie stripped away sand, damaged the boardwalk and seawall, and led to evacuations at 19 homes. Crews are reinforcing damaged areas and rebuilding sand barriers, but some sections have lost so much sand that equipment cannot reach the beach, leaving residents concerned that defenses may not be restored in time. Residents are boarding up homes, stacking sandbags and preparing to leave, while city officials say homeowners are responsible for protecting private property. Newport Beach is also reinforcing its beach berm, and Long Beach plans a fall dredging project intended to add sand and create a wider buffer along the Peninsula.
Key Points
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A resident said Marie erased nine feet of sand in front of his home, leaving a sinkhole beneath the property and causing the building’s foundation to collapse.
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Forecasters said Hurricane Odalys could add a smaller southwest swell, while its movement toward Hurricane Polo is complicating storm-track forecasts; they had more confidence in southerly swells reaching Southern California than in whether rain would fall.
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An oceanographer described the incoming Kelvin wave as a rise in sea level associated with warmer temperatures, rather than a conventional wave, potentially adding to the coastal threat.
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Long Beach’s planned $9.27 million Alamitos Bay Channel dredging project is expected to move about 415,000 cubic yards of sand onto the Peninsula, extending the beach roughly 200 feet between 72nd and 63rd places.
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