Tropical Storm Rachel Devastates Long Beach Boardwalk, Mandatory Evacuation Ordered

When the wind shifted to a roar Saturday night, it felt like the Pacific had decided to pull the rug out from under the Southern California coast. Tropical Storm Rachel, already a noisy nuisance, turned that nuisance into outright chaos.

In Long Beach, waves the size of two‑story houses slammed into the wooden slats of a boardwalk that’s been there for more than a hundred years. Video from the scene shows seawater swallowing the remaining planks just before the high tide rolled in, leaving the once‑busy promenade a broken, soggy mess.

By the time the sun set, city crews were already posting bright “No Trespassing” signs, trying to keep curious onlookers away while they hurried to shore up the most vulnerable spots. The boardwalk, once a place for joggers and families, was suddenly off‑limits.

Mayor Rex Richardson confirmed that eight structures on the peninsula have been red‑tagged — meaning they’re unsafe to enter — and another has a yellow tag, allowing residents to retrieve belongings but not stay overnight. “It’s heartbreaking to see the surf and high tides tearing homes apart,” said long‑time neighbor Stacey Sniezak, who’s lived on 65th Street for 45 years.

Rachel isn’t just a coastal problem. In the Inland Empire, a video captured a house being literally ripped from its foundation as two desperate people tried to hold it down against ferocious gusts. A crack ran from the foundation all the way up to the roof, a stark reminder of how far inland the storm’s fury reached.

Officials warn the worst may still be ahead. “It’s not normal to see this kind of activity,” Richardson said, noting that this is the third hurricane‑strength storm in just six weeks — after Hurricane Marie and Hurricane Polo earlier this season.

Because of the damage, a mandatory evacuation has been ordered for residents on 64th and 65th Streets along Seaside Walk. Vehicular access to the peninsula is now limited to residents only, giving city crews a chance to work safely and efficiently.

The city has already handed out roughly 7,600 sandbags for this storm, pushing the total for the recent three‑storm spree to about 15,000. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a coastal‑flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches through Sunday afternoon, forecasting tides as high as 7.8‑8 feet and a half‑inch of rain that could worsen low‑lying flooding.

Across the region, Newport Beach in Orange County scrambled to erect sand berms and close popular waterfront spots, while the Long Beach Fire Department warned that the entire city could feel the impact, not just the peninsula.

For now, the battered boardwalk sits silent, the sandbags line the streets, and residents watch anxiously as Rachel’s high tides and fierce winds continue to pound the coastline.