Los Angeles, Sep 15:
Powerful surf generated by the remnants of former Hurricane Marie battered Southern California’s coast last week, stripping sand from beaches, damaging homes and walkways and highlighting once again the vulnerability of oceanfront communities.
The worst damage was reported along the Alamitos Peninsula in Long Beach, where days of large breaking waves overwhelmed sand berms and pounded a seawall protecting homes packed tightly between the Pacific Ocean and narrow streets.
At least 24 oceanfront homes were placed under evacuation orders while officials assessed structural damage and possible undermining of their foundations. The powerful swells also damaged coastal infrastructure and removed large quantities of sand from beaches.
The immediate trigger for the damage was the swell generated by Hurricane Marie, whose remnants produced unusually powerful surf along the Southern California coast. Residents and officials have been left concerned about the increasing exposure of coastal communities to extreme weather and changing ocean conditions.
“With global warming, superstorms and ocean current shifts, I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse,” former Malibu resident S.A. Baker told Xinhua. “Las Vegas might be beachfront property one day if this keeps up.