Well, yesterday was quite a day, wasn’t it?
One day after Long Beach was caught almost completely off-guard by a level of rain and flooding – and nearly a tornado – that the city hasn’t seen in more than a decade, we take a look back at the areas that were affected and why, and provide recommendations on how to prepare for a second storm on Thursday that some are saying will be even more powerful than Tuesday’s.
It seems that the areas hit hardest were west Long Beach, where parts of the 710 South Freeway were severely flooded and several neighborhoods west of the freeway also suffered damage, and the area surrounding Wilson High that roughly amounted to the intersection of 10th & Bennett as well as surrounding streets.
That area was hit particularly hard because 10th Street runs downhill before abruptly evening out when it meets Wilson High, essentially creating a bowl that filled to the brim quickly as high rains sent water barreling down 10th Street towards cars and homes that never saw it coming.
If you know of an area that was hit hard, please let us know in the Comments section below, or by contacting [email protected].
The lbpost.com has also learned that the roof of a special education building at Rogers Middle School collapsed yesterday. Reports indicated that children were inside at the time but there were no injuries. The roof was flat and had experienced leaking trouble in the past, and reportedly succumbed to the weight of heavy rains and may have damaged expensive computer equipment inside. We are following this story and will continue to report on it as more information becomes available.
Many other areas of Long Beach experienced flooding as well. Homes and businesses from one side to the other found themselves standing in water. Click here to see Samuel Lippke’s photo essay from a river-like Belmont Shore, and click here to see our collection of staff and reader photos from all over the city.
On Sunday of this week, we posted an article with tips from the City of Long Beach on how to protect your home and business from flooding and locations where you can gather sandbags. With another storm approaching Long Beach that could potentially be more powerful than the previous one, make sure to take a look at the article and find out where you can obtain sandbags if you need them.
The other big news was that a Tornado Warning was issued for parts of Orange County and Long Beach. Though the warning was eventually canceled, the Los Angeles Times’ blog L.A. Now features video of what they claim is a tornado hovering above Long Beach. Did you see this twister anywhere? We’re following up on this story and whether similar warnings could occur with upcoming storms this week.
But the news yesterday wasn’t all bad. For those that were fortunate and escaped any flood damage, there was plenty of fun to be had. Local non-profit We Love Long Beach provided us with some amazing images of surfers taking to the seas to ride huge waves off the Long Beach coast; a virtual impossibility since the construction of the Long Beach Breakwater in the 1940’s. Elsewhere, reader Cynthia Smith sent in this photo of a group of friends that got together for a muddy game of football (Smith also shot the photos above).
We Love Long Beach also sent us this shot of two youngsters enjoying a little splash in the sun.
