LOS ANGELES, CA — California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton called for action on coastal protection Tuesday as powerful swells associated with Hurricane Marie continued to batter the Long Beach Peninsula, damaging sections of the boardwalk, eroding protective sand berms and threatening nearby homes.
Hilton visited the Peninsula as residents faced another day of dangerous surf and coastal flooding. His visit came after several days of large waves pushed water and sand into the neighborhood and damaged portions of the shoreline infrastructure.
The latest conditions have also renewed questions about how Long Beach can protect the narrow Peninsula from future storms, particularly as the city has already identified the area as vulnerable to coastal flooding and erosion.
Hilton criticizes response to coastal damage
During his visit, Hilton criticized what he described as a lack of action from state leadership.
“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 whether he could address the problem if elected governor, Hilton said he would seek changes in the state’s approach to coastal projects and management.
“Yes exactly, and this is up and down the coast by the way,” Hilton said. “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.”
Hilton’s comments were made during a visit to an area where residents and city crews were already dealing with the immediate effects of the storm-driven surf.
His proposed approach was presented as a broader criticism of government management and infrastructure, rather than a specific repair plan for the Long Beach Peninsula.
Hurricane Marie swell damages Peninsula
Hurricane Marie remained offshore, but its powerful swell reached Southern California and produced significant impacts along the coast.
On the Long Beach Peninsula, repeated waves damaged sections of the historic Seaside Walk Boardwalk and pushed water into streets and toward oceanfront properties.
About 20 homes were ordered evacuated after officials determined that the seawall and boardwalk had been compromised and that damaged or cracked concrete near several homes raised concerns about structural conditions.
The City of Long Beach has described the Peninsula as a particularly vulnerable coastal area. Its climate-adaptation planning identifies the Peninsula among low-lying parts of the city already experiencing coastal flooding, particularly during combinations of high tides and rain.
The city has also previously warned residents in the Peninsula and Alamitos Bay areas to prepare for high tides, large swells and localized flooding during major weather events. Protective sand berms have been used as part of those preparations.
Sand berms washed away
One of the most visible effects of the recent surf has been the loss of sand along the oceanfront.
For years, Long Beach has relied in part on engineered sand berms to provide additional protection for vulnerable portions of the Peninsula during large swells.
City planning documents explain that the ocean naturally moves sand along the Peninsula and that the city periodically moves sand back toward areas where erosion has reduced beach width.
A city climate-planning document also notes that the southeastern tip of the Peninsula is exposed to erosion and that emergency sand berms are built during winter and large south-swell events to help protect homes from flooding.
Those defenses were heavily tested by Marie.
Large waves stripped away portions of the beach and undermined areas near the boardwalk. As the sand disappeared, the distance between the ocean and nearby homes became increasingly narrow.
Residents described watching the water move much closer to properties than they normally see.
One resident said the surf was the worst they had experienced, while another described the situation as both exciting and stressful as waves approached the homes.
City has long considered shoreline protection
The current damage has revived a question Long Beach has been studying for years: how to maintain a sufficient beach buffer between the Pacific Ocean and homes on the Peninsula.
The city’s long-term planning documents identify several possible approaches to coastal resilience, including beach nourishment, dune enhancement and other shoreline-management strategies.
Long Beach is also pursuing an Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel Dredge Project that includes using clean dredged sand to nourish Peninsula Beach between 62nd Place and the jetty at 72nd Place.
The city says that project is intended in part to widen and stabilize the shoreline while also maintaining safe navigation into Alamitos Bay. As of the city’s October 2025 update, construction had not begun because contractor bids exceeded the available approved budget, and Public Works was evaluating ways to reduce costs.
That project is separate from the immediate emergency response to Hurricane Marie, but it illustrates the longer-term coastal protection issues facing the Peninsula.
High surf exposes vulnerabilities
The damage from Marie also fits into a broader pattern already identified by Long Beach officials.
The city’s climate-adaptation program says mean sea level off the Long Beach coast rose approximately 3.7 inches between 1923 and 2016, based on tide-gauge data. The city expects sea-level rise to accelerate and says low-lying communities such as the Peninsula are likely to experience more frequent flooding and coastal erosion during storms.
That does not mean the recent damage was caused by sea-level rise alone. The immediate event involved a powerful storm-generated swell, high tides and coastal erosion.
But the city’s own planning documents identify the same combination of high water and storms as an existing vulnerability.
The city has therefore been working on both short-term measures, such as sand berms and sandbags, and longer-term adaptation strategies intended to make the shoreline more resilient.
Residents remain concerned about the next storm
For residents living directly along the oceanfront, the recent waves have provided a close look at what happens when the beach buffer is substantially reduced.
Several homeowners saw water reach areas that normally remain separated from the ocean by a much wider stretch of sand.
The loss of sand also makes subsequent waves more consequential because there is less beach material available to absorb and dissipate incoming wave energy before it reaches the boardwalk and nearby structures.
Long Beach’s existing preparedness guidance recognizes the importance of maintaining protective berms. The city has previously advised residents to stay away from berms and coastal construction equipment during storm operations while crews reinforce vulnerable sections of the beach.
During the latest event, crews again worked to reinforce vulnerable areas while residents dealt with flooding and damage.
Hilton’s visit comes as debate turns to long-term protection
Hilton’s appearance adds a political dimension to an emergency that has so far been dominated by local response efforts.
His criticism focused on government efficiency, engineering expertise and the need for faster action on coastal infrastructure.
But the Long Beach Peninsula’s vulnerability predates this particular storm. City planning documents have for years identified erosion, flooding and the need for recurring sand management as challenges for the area.
The city says its long-term adaptation strategy includes monitoring coastal conditions, investing in resilient infrastructure and protecting coastal access and recreation.
The recent damage is likely to intensify discussion over how those plans should be funded and implemented.
What happens next
The immediate priority remains stabilizing damaged portions of the Peninsula and protecting homes from additional waves and high tides.
Residents are hoping conditions improve after several days of unusually powerful surf, while crews continue mitigation work along the shoreline.
The longer-term question is more complicated.
Long Beach must determine how best to maintain the beach and other protective features while balancing emergency repairs with larger infrastructure and shoreline projects. The city’s existing plans include sand nourishment and other coastal-resilience measures, but some projects remain subject to funding, permitting and construction constraints.
For Hilton, the damage has become an opportunity to argue that California needs a different approach to coastal infrastructure.
For Peninsula residents, the issue is more immediate: keeping enough sand and protection between their homes and the Pacific before the next major swell arrives.
