For decades there have been warnings about the impacts of human-induced climate change. The science has been crystal clear. Now, the evidence is right in front of our eyes. It is not potentially happening in the future — it is here. Hurricane Marie, aka Marie 2.0, put the nail in the coffin by wiping out multiple beaches and destroying coastal infrastructure throughout Southern California.
Marie herself never made landfall. She churned offshore in the eastern Pacific for days before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Sunday, September 6. But her long-range swell, combined with king tides pushing evening high tides above seven feet, generated waves in the 8-to-20-foot range along south-facing California coastlines from San Diego to the South Bay.
The damage started before the swell even peaked and sets an ominous tone for what’s still to come with the predicted El Niño season. It’s too soon to say where was hit the worst and what recovery looks like. In some places, it may not be possible or, rather, logical given the continued march of sea level rise and a sand replenishment problem that goes back decades.
Blair Conklin’s video above. shows the extent of the beach erosion and damage at Aliso Beach in Laguna. Just a few miles south, the beach at Salt Creek is basically gone (see post below) and begs the question of when a comeback could be possible.
Beach front property, once the pinnacle of Southern California living, now seems to be far more of a risk than reward. Homes in Dana Point were inundated with the powerful combination of big hurricane swell and high tides.
Further north, the damage got worse. Erosion at The Wedge revealed the skeleton of the original pier and forced the city to remove a vulnerable light pole at the water’s edge. You can read more on that with the link below.
Related: Hurricane Marie Swell Unearths a Piece of Wedge History (Video)
In Seal Beach, saltwater surged over emergency sand berms that municipal crews had raced to build, then flooded parking lots near the pier and low-lying residential neighborhoods behind them. In Long Beach, more than a dozen garages sustained damage, roughly 20 homes along the boardwalk were evacuated, and sections of the seawall were compromised.
In Malibu, surfers flocked for what may have been the best swell there since, well, the original Hurricane Marie back in 2014. While the beach scene looked similar at first glance, a closer inspection revealed that the lifeguard tower and storage shed are dangerously close to being swept away. Several homes were impacted and the community remains on high alert for future damage.
Related: Towering Waves Demolish Sand Berms As Hurricane Marie Annihilates Long Beach, CA (Watch)
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