During a morning jog on the Long Beach Peninsula this week, I stumbled upon a sight so absurd — so telling about our delusional and haphazard efforts to address climate change — it stopped me in my tracks.
A big, yellow bulldozer was treads-deep in the ocean, getting slapped from behind by incoming waves, clanking and groaning with the effort to shove wet, heavy sand out of the sea and back onto the beach.
Isn’t there an old joke about trying to hold the tide back with a broom?
Incredibly, this is an increasingly common sight along the California coast. From Ocean Beach in San Francisco to the storied surf break near San Clemente, local governments are resorting to brute force in a battle against the most powerful force of all: Mother Nature.
Who are you betting on?
Metrolink and Amtrak were forced to suspend service between Orange and San Diego counties for several weeks as crews conduct emergency repairs caused by beach erosion in San Clemente Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Trying to hold back the ocean
In Long Beach on Wednesday, bulldozers and dump trucks were rumbling just a few feet in front of multimillion-dollar houses, rebuilding a 10-foot-tall sand berm that had been washed away twice in the previous 48 hours by king tides — those exceptionally high tides that occur when the sun, moon and Earth align.
Is the constant construction noise, and view-blocking berm, disturbing the vibe for the people behind those enormous, gleaming picture windows? Obviously. Are things likely to improve?
When I posed that very naive question to my colleague Rosanna Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the California coast and the author of the celebrated book California Against the Sea, there was a long pause on the other end of the line. I was a little embarrassed as I imagined her thinking, “Good God, where do I even begin?”
No, things are not likely to improve.
She explained the consensus among California environmental leaders is that the state should prepare for 3.5 feet of sea level rise by 2050, but residents don’t have to wait a generation to find out what that means.
El Niño seasons, winter storms and summer king tides like the one this week “provide a powerful glimpse into what the future could look like on a consistent basis,” she said, “and what the new normal could look like if we don’t prepare communities for the reality of what’s to come.”
No bail out from what is coming
That message is not new.
In 2019, Long Beach city officials held a meeting with residents of the peninsula and told them they could safely stay for another decade, or two, if they were willing to tolerate substantial flooding that would become more frequent over the years. But they shouldn’t expect an engineering miracle or government largess to bail them out.
The only real solution was “an orderly exit from the coast,” said Jerry Schubel, then-president and chief executive of the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Has that happened? Nope. Have real estate prices dropped? Also nope.
A palatial, three-story tower of stone and glass directly facing the bulldozer I saw Wednesday is on the market for $6.6 million. “Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views that stretch from the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island to the Downtown Long Beach skyline,” the listing promises.
Maybe if you stand on your tiptoes you can see all of that over the dump trucks.
At this point you’re wondering, are the people buying these houses and choosing to live in these neighborhoods complete morons?
Maybe, but I’m in no position to point fingers.
A bulldozer moves sand along the Long Beach shore in an effort to battle beach erosion.
A homeowner’s quandary
Fourteen years ago, my wife and I plopped down our life savings and took out a whopping mortgage to buy a much, much, much more modest house about a mile up the beach. We’re not on the sand, but I can throw a baseball to it.
The beach is still at least a hundred yards wide in front of us, but there’s no visible elevation difference between it and our front door. We know the risk we’re taking.
Every time there’s a storm or a king tide it feels like we’re playing chicken with the universe. We can’t afford to lose the money we sank into this place, but we also can’t bring ourselves to leave.
For me, every day starts with a run on the beach with our dog. Most days end with a glass of wine and a life-affirming sunset. There’s no question we’d do it again.
Our neighbors, many of whom are good friends, feel the same.
Of course, the bulldozers aren’t in our front yards yet.
Top stories
Long Beach city workers prepare a sand brim to prevent flooding due to high tide and strong surf at the Peninsula.
(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)
A ‘super’ El Niño is now super likely
- A “super” El Niño is now 95% likely to develop this year as the climate pattern gains dramatic strength in the Pacific Ocean.
- Now, officials across California and beyond are bracing for a wet and potentially destructive winter.
FedEx and others announce layoffs in Southern California
- More than 500 people have lost their jobs in the latest round of FedEx layoffs in Southern California.
- At the end of September, the carrier will close two facilities in Palm Springs and Victorville, laying off 116 employees at the end of September.
The Trump administration blocked from taking control of L.A.’s homelessness programs
- U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued an order yesterday that will block the Trump administration from gaining control of federal funding for L.A.’s homelessness programs.
- The judge found the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from managing federal homelessness funds.
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Commentary and opinion
Editor’s picks
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Things to do
A mango Kakigori from Tonchin. The Japanese dessert is made from shaved ice with syrup.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Today’s recipe
Homemade butter from “The Butter Book” by Anna Stockwell and published by Chronicle Books.
(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
Buying your butter from the store may be easy, but making your own is also relatively simple, and the end result is delicious. Here’s a 15-minute recipe for homemade butter that can be spread on pretty much anything.
Question for you
Which is your favorite SoCal airport? Email us at [email protected], and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Wallis R. writes: Palm Springs International Airport — beautiful outdoor setting after going through security!
Photo of the day
A portion of Route 66 that runs parallel with I-15.
(Caroline Pardilla)
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Shi Bradley, audience intern
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected]. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
