Boardwalk damaged, structural integrity of homes questioned due to destructive Long Beach waves
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- It has been a rough few days on the coast. Massive swells have pounded the Long Beach boardwalk, making for a dangerous situation for residents who live on the water.
A mandatory evacuation order is in place for about 20 homes directly on the seawall on the peninsula between 63rd Place and 67th Place. On Monday evening, Long Beach firefighters went door-to-door, telling the residents it was time to leave.
When you take a look at the damage left behind by the waves, it's clear to see why.
SEE ALSO: Residents along Long Beach Peninsula told to evacuate as community endures more waves, high tides
Planks of wood were completely ripped up on the boardwalk by the massive waves during Monday night's high tide. The damage was only made worse by the high tide on Tuesday morning.
The waves completely tore through the seawall that separates the shore from the homes in some spots.
Residents have been working overtime to try and reinforce their properties, placing sandbags and nailing boards to their doors and windows.
Potentially, the biggest issue is what you don't see. One resident said the tide has been drawing the sand from underneath the homes and pulling it out, leaving homes with questionable structural integrity. There are also reports of damaged and cracked concrete between some homes.
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The resident who spoke with ABC7 said her home was rebuilt in the '90s and was reinforced with long pillars at the base, but engineers are worried about the homes built in the '60s, which don't have that reinforcement.
"It's been extremely traumatic, truthfully," said resident Siobhan Gadallah. "We've really all, all of the neighbors, we've been on the front lines, kind of fighting Mother Nature to protect our homes. We've been so lucky. We have such an amazing community here. I feel like everybody really came together to protect all of the compromised houses."
Gadallah said she has packed up her valuables and is confident she'll return, though she's worried about the rebuild process.
"I'm anticipating I'm going to come back and just reorganize, and everything will be fine from there. I do hope that we can get emergency permits for all of the residents here, so they can start rebuilding very quickly. So, I'm hopeful we can get that going. I hope there's no delays," Gadallah said. "I know with the L.A. fires, it took them months and months to get people permits, so I want to try to avoid that so we can actually come home."
"It's quite hectic. A lot of physical work. Yesterday, the entire neighborhood came out and helped us. It was really heartwarming," said Ken Holt.
On Tuesday, public works was back out on the beach with tractors, working to reinforce the sand berm before Tuesday's high tide.
SEE ALSO: At least 14 homes damaged by powerful waves in Capistrano Beach in Dana Point
