LOS ANGELES, USA, 17 Oct. - (ANA) - Multi-million-dollar waterfront homes were severely damaged as tropical Storm Rachel sent waves crashing into the coast of southern California.

Multi-million-dollar waterfront homes were severely damaged as tropical Storm Rachel sent waves crashing into the coast of southern California.

 

Video footage showed houses with storm damage, including one with large cracks running from the foundation to the roof.

 

Forecasters warned that Storm Rachel could be a preview of what was to come for the US state, with the next few months expected to deliver the strongest El Niño weather pattern on record, with storms predicted to continue well into 2027.

 

In Long Beach near Los Angeles, several homes were destroyed over the weekend after a protective bulkhead failed, sending water into homes. Waves also ripped apart a century-old boardwalk along the Alamitos Peninsula, closing access to the seafront.

 

One home battered by the waves was listed for sale in August for just under $5m (£3.7m). The four-storey 4,880 sq ft home was described as having “breathtaking panoramic ocean and bay views”, and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar.

 

Thirteen homes had been red-tagged, forcing all residents to evacuate in preparation for the surge in water levels, according to Rex Richardson, the Long Beach mayor.

 

Another home was yellow-tagged, meaning those living there needed to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

 

Residents said they had been working to protect their homes and help neighbours whose properties had suffered more extensive damage.

 

Robert Wells’s family have owned a summer home on the peninsula since 1962.

 

Mr Wells, 80, told the New York Post: “It’s never happened like this before. Yesterday, and this morning, the water came right over here. And just took everything out.”

 

He argued that a sand berm constructed by the local authority to hold back the waves and protect beachfront properties had made the damage worse.

 

Mr Wells added: “There is a class action lawsuit forming against the city of Long Beach.” - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/17 October 2026 - - -