California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has called for urgent action to protect the Long Beach Peninsula after powerful swells from Hurricane Marie battered the coastline, damaging the boardwalk and seawall and forcing about 20 homes to be evacuated.
Hilton visited the peninsula on Tuesday as residents endured a third consecutive day of dangerous surf, flooding and erosion. The storm itself remained offshore, but its remnants sent large waves towards the narrow coastal community.
“It’s really disappointing we haven’t heard from the governor,” Hilton said. “We’ve got the high-speed rail, this is high-seas fail. They can’t seem to get anything done.”
Asked what he would do if elected governor, Hilton said he would replace officials he believed lacked the necessary expertise with people from construction and engineering backgrounds.
“Clear out the bureaucrats that don’t know what they’re doing, put in there serious people with a construction background, with an engineering background,” he said.
Long Beach Peninsula homes evacuated after seawall damage
The Long Beach Fire Department issued evacuation orders for properties along Seaside Walk between 63rd Place and 67th Place after the seawall and sections of the boardwalk were compromised. Officials also reported cracked and damaged concrete around several homes.
The orders were issued as a precaution while building inspectors assess whether the properties and their foundations remain structurally sound. The Peninsula has been closed to non-residents, while the beach and boardwalk have also been shut.
Residents said the waves had been the worst they had experienced, with water and sand reaching streets and coming increasingly close to homes. One resident described the sound and force of the surf as resembling an earthquake.
Protective sand berms built along the beach were largely washed away. In some areas, erosion exposed ground beneath parts of the boardwalk and close to oceanfront properties.
City crews have been pumping out water, clearing sand from storm drains and distributing thousands of sandbags. Portable pumps have been deployed, while firefighters, volunteers and public works teams continue efforts to limit further flooding before additional high tides.
Hilton said the damage should be treated as a warning for communities along the wider California coast, arguing that authorities needed to improve long-term protection rather than rely on temporary measures.
Some residents said they felt more reassured after crews reinforced vulnerable sections of the shoreline, but the area remained under pressure as powerful swells continued to strike the peninsula.
