LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach has declared a local emergency ahead of what forecasters say could be a historic El Niño winter, weeks after powerful waves from Hurricane Marie flooded homes and damaged the Peninsula.
The City Council voted 9-0 Tuesday to ratify City Manager Tom Modica's proclamation of a local emergency, citing the damage caused by Marie and the "imminent and proximate" threat to people and property from the developing 2026-27 El Niño and winter storm season, according to the city's announcement following the vote.
"Long Beach is acting early so our residents, neighborhoods and critical infrastructure are as prepared as possible before severe weather arrives," Mayor Rex Richardson said.
Modica issued the proclamation Monday, the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency to accelerate preparations for El Niño.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said Sept. 10 that El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90 percent chance of becoming a very strong event this fall and winter. Forecasters put the chance at 75 percent that it will reach historic strength during the October through December period, exceeding previous El Niño events dating to 1950.
NOAA cautioned that even an El Niño of that magnitude does not guarantee specific local weather impacts.
For Long Beach, however, the threat comes shortly after Hurricane Marie demonstrated the city's vulnerability to extreme coastal conditions.
High surf and large waves overtopped portions of the Peninsula earlier this month, sending seawater into homes and damaging the boardwalk, bulkhead and other coastal infrastructure. The city said more than 20 addresses between 63rd and 67th Place were evacuated as waves came over the boardwalk and onto city streets.
Crews built and reinforced a mile-long protective sand berm, moved about 230,000 cubic feet of sand each day and carried out emergency repairs to the bulkhead. Portions of the boardwalk and beach between 63rd and 68th Place remained closed following the storm.
The new emergency declaration gives Long Beach greater flexibility to rapidly obtain and pre-position equipment, supplies, personnel and other resources, enter into necessary contracts and coordinate preparations with county, state and federal agencies and other partners.
Officials said Long Beach is particularly vulnerable because of its coastline, beaches, waterways, marinas, low-lying areas and proximity to Alamitos Bay and the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers. Potential impacts this winter include heavy rain, strong winds, high surf, flooding, erosion, transportation disruptions, power outages and damage to homes and critical infrastructure.
The cost of preparing for El Niño is not yet known, with current expenses being covered through existing city appropriations. Long Beach plans to pursue state and federal reimbursement for damage caused by coastal erosion and wave action, although officials cautioned that reimbursement is expected to be limited.
The city also expects to release a report within the next week detailing the cost of its Hurricane Marie response, engineering assessments for rebuilding the damaged boardwalk and repairing the bulkhead and longer-term measures to prepare for future storms.
"We are asking the entire community to take this storm season seriously," Modica said. "Preparation is essential when forecasts point to the possibility of significant winter storms."
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