Oceanfront buildings declared unsafe after waves breach shoreline defenses on California’s Alamitos Peninsula.

Residents on Long Beach’s Alamitos Peninsula are facing extensive damage after powerful surf associated with Tropical Storm Rachel battered waterfront properties and tore through sections of the historic boardwalk.

Waves breached the protective bulkhead along Seaside Walk, allowing seawater to reach homes and surrounding streets. By October 12, local reporting put the damage assessment at eight red-tagged structures covering approximately 13 addresses, with another building yellow-tagged. Red-tagged properties are considered unsafe to enter.

The destruction has left parts of the shoreline visibly exposed. At one oceanfront home, waves ripped open the side facing the water, leaving furniture visible through damaged windows. Along the waterfront, crews placed heavy sandbags to reinforce the battered boardwalk as high surf continued to threaten the area.

The supplied report described a four-story house listed in August for $4.95 million. The 4,880-square-foot residence was marketed with panoramic ocean and bay views and a wine cellar that could hold 1,000 bottles.

For longtime homeowners, the damage has also meant seeing decades of family memories put at risk. Robert Wells, whose family has owned a summer home on the peninsula since 1962, told the New York Post that he had never experienced flooding like this.

Wells also questioned whether a city-built sand berm had worsened the damage. That remains a resident’s allegation, rather than an established finding about what caused the destruction.

Although broader evacuation advisories were lifted for much of the area on Sunday, restrictions remained for some waterfront properties. Damage assessments and shoreline reinforcement efforts continued.

The emergency comes as forecasters monitor a strengthening El Niño. NOAA’s October outlook indicates that strong to very strong conditions are likely to persist into early 2027. That seasonal forecast provides context for the months ahead, but it does not establish the timing or severity of future storms in Long Beach.