A high-priced beachfront home on the California coast has begun giving way to the ocean after monster waves generated by Hurricane Rachel ripped away nearly 30 feet of the boardwalk.
The powerful surf slammed into the Long Beach Peninsula boardwalk at about 9am Friday, placing a row of homes valued at between $1 million and $7 million in danger of being swept into the sea.
Dramatic footage showed towering waves pounding a house in the 6500 block of Seaside Walk and rising to its second-story windows. Parts of the building and shattered sections of boardwalk could be seen floating offshore.
Nearby side streets and patios were also inundated, with floodwater spilling into homes and leaving properties heavily damaged.
‘This is easily the most damage I have seen over the past couple of weeks,’ said KTLA’s Rich Prickett, whose crew surveyed the destruction from a helicopter.
‘Now the entire boardwalk is just starting to shred away, and now some of these homes are being impacted even more severely,’ he added.
‘As you’re seeing this house right here that’s starting to crumble as that erosion just continues underneath the house.’
As residents waded through shin-deep water, crews arrived in the normally lush area to examine water intrusion, pump flooded streets and reinforce the exposed shoreline with about 1,000 sandbags.
A beachfront home on California’s coast began collapsing into the ocean after monster waves whipped up by Hurricane Rachel tore away nearly 30 feet of the boardwalk Friday morning
The powerful waves struck the Long Beach Peninsula boardwalk around 9am, putting nearby homes worth between $1 million and $7 million at risk of being swallowed by the sea
Towering swells crashed into a home in the 6500 block of Seaside Walk, reaching its second-story windows as sections of the building drifted into the ocean
Floodwater also inundated nearby side streets and patios
From a helicopter, KTLA News’ Rich Prickett said: ‘This is easily the most damage I have seen over the past couple of weeks’
Residents stood in shin-deep floodwater as crews rushed to the usually lush area to investigate water intrusion
According to Long Beach Post News., city inspectors attributed the destruction to powerful surf and high tides that eroded the shoreline and tore apart a wooden wall that had acted as the waves’ final barrier.
Officials also said waves from Hurricane Marie had stripped sand from a broad section of the bulkhead, which suffered severe damage over the previous day. The breach allowed water to surge into nearby homes and streets.
Two homes, including the property that appeared closest to collapse, were red-tagged and deemed unsafe to enter.
No residents were displaced, city spokesperson Craig Nakano told the outlet. One of the homes was being renovated, while the other was confirmed to be vacant.
A third property received a yellow tag, allowing its owner limited access to collect belongings. Nakano said the resident had already arranged alternative accommodation.
The designations may not be permanent. Once repairs are completed and approved by inspectors, a red tag can be changed to yellow. Inspections are scheduled to continue twice a day.
Officials are continuing to assess the threat and determine whether evacuation orders will be necessary as another round of severe weather looms.
‘We’re taking a look, especially with that tide and that flow coming in,’ Long Beach Fire Department spokesperson Melanie Miller said, according to KTLA.
City inspectors blamed the damage on powerful surf and high tides that chewed away at the shoreline, ripping apart a wooden wall that served as the last line of defense
Officials also said waves from Hurricane Marie stripped away the sand protecting a large section of the bulkhead, which sustained severe damage over the past day
Two homes, including the one that appeared to be on the verge of collapse, were red-tagged, meaning they were deemed unsafe to enter
Pictured: residents taking belongings out of homes
Pictured: Officials pump water off streets and shore up the exposed section with roughly 1,000 sandbags
The threat is far from over, with residents now preparing for a storm surge of about seven feet on Monday, according to the National Weather Service
‘Taking a look at what type of water intrusion, and really just assessing those damages and having our command staff figure out that next move,’ she added.
The threat is far from over, with residents now preparing for a storm surge of about seven feet on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
‘Sunday night into Monday, we’re going to see even stronger waves coming in,’ meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said, according to KTLA.
‘We have the swells from Rachel, we have the high tide, and then we’re getting that Kelvin wave that we talk about. What will make it worse is that Sunday into Monday you have all three of those ingredients again, but we’re going to add a fourth,’ he added.
‘We’re going to get an area of low pressure that’s tracking from northern California. That is going to increase the wind.’