Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
GETTING PREPARED:
WINTER STORMS & EL NIÑO
September 28, 2026
2026-27 WINTER SEASON OUTLOOK
* El Niño-driven ocean effects, like high-water Kelvin waves, are expected to reach Southern California by early to late October 2026, with overall weather impacts peaking between November and February
EL NIÑO’S POSSIBLE OUTCOMES • Higher than average season total rainfall • More frequent and intense storms • Higher sea levels KING TIDES EXPECTED DATES • Late November 2026: November 24-26 • Late December 2026: December 23-25 • Mid-January 2027: January 21-22 Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
PREPARING FOR SEVERE WEATHER
Residents are encouraged to be self-sufficient for up to five (5) days, and take the following steps to prepare:
SIGN UP FOR ALERT LONG BEACH
Visit AlertLB.com to receive emergency notifications by phone, text or email
PROTECT YOUR HOME AND PROPERTY
Clean gutters, check for roof leaks, secure outdoor furniture, and consider purchasing a sump pump and generator
BUILD AN EMERGENCY KIT AND GO-BAG
Include 5 days of supplies including water, food, medication, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, and pet supplies Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
PREPARING FOR SEVERE WEATHER
MAKE A FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN
Identify how family members will communicate and
where they will meet if separated
GATHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Secure/digitize documents like identification, insurance, medical, financial and property records
STAY INFORMED ON WEATHER CONDITIONS
Monitor trusted news and weather sources as storms
approach and throughout the duration of an event
HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS
Check on those who may need additional assistance,
including older adults, people with disabilities, families with children and others who may need support
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT (WEA) • Pushed to mobile carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) • English and Spanish
ALERT LONG BEACH
• E-911 Landlines • Alert Long Beach Registrants • English, Spanish, Tagalog, Khmer and American Sign Language (ASL) LOCAL & ACOUSTIC ALERTS • Door knocks (Police, Firefighters, Search & Rescue, CERT, Volunteers) • Police and Fire vehicle/helicopter public address equipment • Mobile public address system WEBSITES, SOCIAL MEDIA & OTHER MEDIA • Official City Websites and Social Media Accounts • Press Releases, Press Conferences, Media Interviews, LBTV, etc.
INTEGRATED ALERT & WARNING FRAMEWORK
Websites, Social Media
& Other Media
Alert Long Beach
WEA
Local & Acoustic
Alerts
Least
Most The City has redundant methods to communicate pertinent emergency information to the public:
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
Thank you
Reginald Harrison
Director
Disaster Preparedness &
Emergency Communications
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications 6
Storm readiness and
fire department operations
How we prepare, coordinate and prioritize
response
Deputy Chief James Farley
Operations Bureau, Long Beach Fire Department
Before the storm: understand and prepare
• Situational awareness
Review forecasts, tides, surf, rainfall, vulnerable locations and likely citywide impacts. • Triggers and actions
Set decision points before arrival for staffing, alerts, command, access and possible evacuations. • Clear messaging
Share consistent information within the City and with the public as conditions change.
A coordinated city and regional response
If substantial impacts to life, property or the environment appear likely, LBFD may establish a command post before the storm arrives.
Unified command
Fire works with other City departments under
shared objectives and priorities.
Regional support
Coordinate with regional partners and Cal OES,
including requests to position resources near
areas of concern.
Disaster Preparedness typically hosts and leads predeployment and deployment meetings.
All hazards operations during severe weather
Swift water rescue People trapped by moving or rising water Urban search and rescue Structural collapse, confined access and technical rescue Hazardous materials Fuel, chemicals or other releases
Citywide fire and EMS Fires, medical calls and other emergencies continue Teams deploy where conditions and incident priorities require them across Long Beach.
Incident priorities guide every deployment
1. Life safety
2. City Personnel Safety
3. Incident stabilization
4. Property conservation
5. Environmental conservation
6. Restore public and private services
These priorities determine where limited crews and specialized resources go first.
When demand exceeds available resources
• Crews may be needed for life rescue and evacuation elsewhere in the city. • During a major storm, LBFD cannot be at every property.
Assistance with flooding may be delayed or deprioritized when people need rescue. • At a flooded property, crews may only be able to help people evacuate.
What residents should do before impact
• Make a plan
Know where you will go, how you will leave and how you will communicate. • Protect your home
Move valuables and vehicles, clear drainage where safe and use appropriate flood barriers. • Have a backup option
Prepare supplies and a place to stay if access or utilities are disrupted. • Follow evacuation orders
Leave when directed. Do not enter flooded roads or areas closed by responders. • Sign up for Alert Long Beach
Get the latest updates in real time from the City.
Marine Safety Division
• Coastal conditions require specialized assessment and response.
Next: LBFD Marine Safety Division
Coastal hazards, readiness and operations
Marine Safety monitors coastal hazards
• Weather systems
Rain, flooding and swells
• Earthquakes and tsunamis
Potential coastal impacts
• Environmental hazards
Oil or sewage spills and tarballs
• Marine life
Conditions that could affect Long Beach waters
Marine Safety specialty response teams
• Swiftwater and flood rescue
25 member team
• Rescue dive team
15 member team
• Inclement seas response
Six 32 foot response vessels
Hurricane Marie Response
and Winter Preparedness
Peninsula
Update
Tom Modica, City Manager
District 3 Community Meeting
2 Background and Context
• Peninsula beach shoreline - 54th to 72nd Place, including the west jetty
• Wooden boardwalk constructed in the 1920s provides public access along the coast
o About 9 feet wide and 3,600 feet long and said to be the last wooden boardwalk in LA County
• Adjacent 22-foot-high timber bulkhead (not a seawall) is mostly buried in sand under typical conditions
3 Past nourishment and stabilization efforts
• 1940s: approximately 3 million cubic yards of sand placed on the beach • Smaller nourishment and stabilization efforts continued between the 1950s and 1980s
• By 1980, much of that sand had depleted
• Artificial kelp beds installed during the 1980s have not shown evidence of reducing erosion
• 1993-1993 moved 145,000 cubic yards
• 2000s - backpassing harvested local sand, local dredging not always suitable
Background and Context
4 Impacts of Hurricane Season,
High Tides, and El Niño • Eastern Pacific hurricane
season: May 15- November 30
• Tropical storms can generate
long-period southerly swells
• King tides generally occur
during fall and winter
• Elevated water levels and
energetic waves increase
erosion, overtopping, and
coastal flooding
5 Typical Erosion Management Strategies
• Sand back passing moves sand that has migrated west back to the eastern Peninsula
• Crews work five days a week throughout the year, inclement weather increases operations to six or seven days
• Eight-hour shifts can extend up to 18 hours with additional staffing • Annual cost: $1 million - $1.5 million to PRM in Tidelands Operating fund
6 Hurricane Marie Storm Preparation
• Inspected all 23 City-managed
pump stations
• Inspected and cleaned 5,600 catch
basins during the dry season, with
targeted recleaning before Marie
• Rented three additional pumps
• Berm-building crews began 12-
hour shifts on September 3
7 Impacts from Hurricane Marie 2026
• Long-period south swell coincided
with elevated tides and warmer
water
• 8 to 10-foot waves eroded berms
between 63rd and 68th Place
• Approximately 20 residences
temporarily evacuated and
boardwalk closed
8 Immediate Post-Storm Response
• Rebuilt berms where possible and
removed sand and debris
• Braced damaged bulkhead and made
repairs to sections of the bulkhead
and boardwalk.
• Installed 30 large 3,000lb sandbags to
mitigate wave impact on bulkhead
•
• Inspected public infrastructure and
private homes
• Engaged Moffatt & Nichol for coastal
engineering expertise at a cost not to
exceed $75,000
• No homes red-tagged. One yellowtagged for unsafe access as of September 25
• Homeowners obtaining repair
permits and Community
Development will assist through the
process, including priority permitting
and inspections
• Response total cost is still being
calculated – anticipated to exceed $1
million
Immediate Post-Storm Response (cont.)
9 Boardwalk and Bulkhead Repairs
Repair Scope of Work
• 200 feet of deck and support
beams
• 1,000 feet of bulkhead, largely top
cap repairs
• 450 feet of vertical wall planks
Anticipated Schedule and Cost
• Early October start
• Substantial completion in
November, subject to conditions
• $1 - $1.5 million estimate
Repairs restore public access. However, the existing boardwalk has limited resilience to future storms.
10 Short Term Support – Alamitos Bay Channel
Dredging Project
Project scope and beach benefits
• Initiated in 2023 to restore channel depths to −20 feet MLLW and reuse approximately 415,000 cubic yards on the Peninsula
• Original design anticipated 200–250 feet of added beach width Bidding and funding
• Initial bids: $13 million and $14 million. Revised plans and bid requirements produced an $8.06 million lowest responsive bid, approximately $5 million lower • Council approved the construction contract August 11, 2026. The $11.4 million total project was fully funded ahead of the normal budget process Accelerated schedule
• Anticipated mid-October start, with an end-of-November completion goal, advanced from early 2027
11 Interim Coastal Engineering Evaluation
Alternative Design and protection Duration Cost range
1. Full Profile
Rock Revetment
- About 2 feet above existing bulkhead
- Dissipates wave energy and limits runup
and overtopping
- Cannot reasonably be buried in sand
2-3
months
$7.4 - 9.5M
2. Low Profile
Rock Revetment
by Bulkhead
- 30-foot base beside bulkhead
- Not conducive to sand cover
- Severe storms can still overtop and cause
localized water intrusion on the boardwalk
2-3
months
$3.5 - 4.75M
12 Interim Coastal Engineering Evaluation
Alternative Design and protection Duration Cost range
3. Low Profile
Rock Revetment
- About 45 feet wide, farther seaward of
bulkhead
- Top about +11 feet MLLW
- Can be fully buried with sand and vegetated
dunes
- More protection than Alternative 2 under
future erosion
2-3
months
$5 - 7M
Depends on
sand cover
depth
4. Large-scale
Beach
Nourishment
and Backpassing
- At least 100,000 cubic yards strategically
placed over a short period
- Maintain a beach berm at least 75–100 feet
wide
8 weeks $4.2 - 7M
13 Interim Coastal Engineering Evaluation
Alternative Design and protection Duration Cost range
5. Sheet Piles - Reconstruct existing bulkhead and
boardwalk
- Only halt erosion landward of installation
- For runup and overtopping protection, wall
higher than existing bulkhead needed with
modified geometry and a maintained beach
berm at least 75–100 feet wide
3-4
months
$2.1 - 3.8M
Excludes
large-scale
beach
nourishment
and back
passing
14 Interim Engineering Recommendations
• Add 100,000 cubic yards through back passing before or alongside channel dredging
• Advance rock revetment design and permitting at the same time • Establish beach-width trigger criteria to construct a rock revetment when needed
• Large-scale beach nourishment is most compatible with the anticipated mid-October 2026 dredging start
• Constructing either a small or large rock revetment would require postponing the dredging project
15 Future Planning – Port Deep Draft Project
• Port and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project would deepen and widen selected waterways
• Potential Peninsula sand source: 900,000 - 1 million cubic yards • Preliminary costs: about $3 million for studies and $20–30 million for placement
• Initial Port work expected in 2029, with opportunities to expedite under review
16 Partnerships with United States
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
2007 Erosion Study
• Groins and reefs could reduce
erosion, but would not eliminate it
• Large-scale beach fill was most
effective at slowing erosion
• Study did not model combined
storm water levels, swells and high
tides
• Conducted a 1.23 million cubic
yards sand project, most effective
East San Pedro Bay study
• Focused on aquatic habitat and
biodiversity, not long term erosion
management
• $262 million estimate, including a
$92 million City share, at 2020 prices
• Formally deauthorized in 2023
17 Future Planning – Peninsula
Ecosystem Restoration
• 2024: City retained Moffatt & Nichol for concepts combining shoreline protection with a habitat mitigation bank
• Concepts: major beach nourishment, shoreline headlands, pier groin, offshore rocky reefs staggered with headlands, eelgrass and kelp habitat, and public access improvements
• $150–350 million rough conceptual cost estimate
Concept illustration
• Colorado Lagoon offers a potential funding model
• FY 2027: Councilmember Duggan requested $30,000;
recommended by Budget Oversight Committee,
approved by City Council
• Funds support umbrella mitigation bank research,
regulatory engagement and stakeholder
coordination
18 El Niño Preparations
Potential storm impacts
The City may experience:
• Repeated heavy rainfall, strong winds, high surf
and large waves
• Coastal and localized flooding, and erosion
• Transportation disruptions and power outages
• Damage to homes and critical infrastructure,
and interruptions to essential services
Residents should take steps to protect their families, homes and neighborhoods now 19 El Niño Preparations
Emergency proclamations Preparedness authority
• September 21, 2026: Governor
Gavin Newsom proclaimed a
State of Emergency
• September 21, 2026: City
Manager issued a Proclamation
of Local Emergency
• September 22, 2026: City
Council ratified the local
proclamation
• Rapidly identify, procure, stage and preposition equipment, supplies, materials, services, personnel and other resources
• Enter necessary agreements and
contracts; coordinate preparedness and
mitigation activities
• Work with neighboring jurisdictions,
regional agencies, Los Angeles County,
State agencies (including the Coastal
Commission), federal agencies, utilities,
transportation agencies and private
partners
21 Recommended Plan of Action
Recommended action Estimated
cost Funding source
1. Boardwalk and bulkhead repairs
Expected early or mid-October through November; may
extend with future storms
$1 - 1.5M Tidelands Emergency
Reserve
2. Accelerate channel dredging
Anticipated mid-October start, through November
$11.4M Marina Fund
Already budgeted
3. Additional sand backpassing
Approx. 50,000–100,000 additional cubic yards with
dredging
$230,000
Initial
effort
Tidelands Emergency
Reserve
4. Low-profile rock revetment and coastal dunes
Design now; approach Coastal Commission alongside
dredging.
Ready if nourishment does not hold; implement only when sand is absent.
Approx.
$6.8M
project
Project unfunded
Initial design:
Tidelands Emergency
Reserve
22 Recommended Plan of Action
Recommended action Estimated
cost Funding source
5. Continue Port and Army Corps discussions to
accelerate the Deep Draft project
Advocate for federal funding for beach nourishment
N/A Federal funding to be
pursued
6. Review funding for beach nourishment and habitat
restoration
N/A Potential sources:
Proposition 4, State
grants and federal
dollars
7. Initiate Umbrella Mitigation Bank study $30,000 Measure A Infrastructure
Already budgeted
23 Funding
• City Manager will identify a funding plan for the recommended actions
• City Manager will recommend that the Mayor and City Council allocate $3 million of the $10.3 million Tidelands Emergency Reserve for immediate steps
• City Manager will begin drawing down funding immediately, as authorized under the emergency declaration
24 Summary
• Maintain public safety and restore damaged public infrastructure • Replenish the beach while advancing interim protection • Prepare for additional storm impacts throughout the City • Continue monitoring and provide updates as engineering and project work advance
25 Q&A