This past week, the City continued work to prepare for the upcoming El Niño, with a focus on the Peninsula. Repairs to the boardwalk are continuing, and additional work is expected over the coming weeks to further strengthen it.

Orange County, Dana Point, Laguna Beach and San Clemente have declared local emergencies following Hurricane Marie, while Carlsbad and Malibu have taken similar steps in response to coastal erosion and damage ahead of El Niño.

I am pushing for Long Beach to take this action as well. While a local emergency declaration does not automatically provide funding or assistance, it would formally document the damage we have already experienced and could help support requests for additional resources and expedited emergency permitting where available.

City leadership previously said it would need about two weeks to develop near-term options for the Peninsula, so we expect to learn more next week. In the meantime, we continue meeting with agencies and industry experts to understand what other coastal communities are experiencing and what approaches they are considering.

I will be holding a community meeting at ABYC with City staff on Monday, September 28 at 6:30 pm, to talk about the work that is being implemented by the City and plans as we approach the El Niño season. Please join us to hear updates and ask questions.

I have shared the map above several times in previous newsletters and think it is even more important now. It shows the areas of Long Beach that could be vulnerable to flooding with 11 inches of sea level rise combined with a King Tide and a 100-year storm.

This year’s El Niño is continuing to strengthen, and NOAA now says there is a greater than 90 percent chance it becomes a very strong event this fall and winter. A strong El Niño can also temporarily raise coastal water levels in Southern California, increasing the risk when higher baseline sea levels line up with high tides, large surf, and storm surge.

That does not mean the flooding shown on this map will happen. It means the conditions could come together to create localized flooding, with Belmont Shore, Naples, the Peninsula, and Marina Pacifica among the areas we need to be watching closely.

I am advocating for the City to ramp up preparations, and I encourage residents to prepare as well. It is better to prepare for something that never happens than to be unprepared when it does.

Join the Long Beach Public Works Department on Tuesday, September 29, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the MacArthur Park Community Center (1321 E. Anaheim Street) to learn more about the Anaheim Street Corridor Improvement Project.

The project will improve approximately four miles of Anaheim Street from the Los Angeles River to Pacific Coast Highway, including pavement rehabilitation, traffic signal upgrades, new and improved crosswalks, ADA improvements, transit upgrades, medians, and landscaping. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027.

AlertLB is the City of Long Beach’s emergency notification system used to send important updates during severe weather, emergencies, and other incidents that may impact the community. Residents can sign up to receive alerts by text message, phone call, or email so they can quickly get information about changing conditions, safety instructions, and other emergency updates.

On Tuesday, Councilmember Duggan joined the Long Beach Lifeguard Association for its Lifeguard Hall of Fame ceremony. Congratulations to Don Johnson and Randy McCormick on their induction into the Hall of Fame!

Councilmember Duggan was honored as a Hall of Fame Contributor in recognition of her support of the Long Beach lifeguard community.

Last Saturday, Long Beach hosted its first 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Long Beach World Trade Center to honor the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Participants climbed 22 stories five times, totaling 110 stories and approximately 2,200 steps, symbolically completing the climb firefighters faced that morning. I was glad to climb 110 stories reflecting on 9/11, talking with firefighters from our LBFD, and community members.

I climbed for Captain Ferro who died in 2023 at the age of 65 due to lung cancer related to working for months in toxic conditions at Ground Zero. It is important to remember the individuals impacted by that day which changed our world so dramatically forever.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Friends of the Long Beach Public Library essay contest! More than 100 students from across the city submitted essays in English and Spanish, with participation from LBUSD, private school, and homeschool students.

The contest is part of the Helen Fuller Cultural Carousel, which supports literacy, education, arts, and cultural experiences for children and families. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants and winners!

Colorado and Eliot Street paving started yesterday and will continue today, with the streets expected to reopen in phases. Colorado Street, including small portions of Orlena and Eliot, will be paved first and is expected to reopen by the end of the month, barring unforeseen conditions or weather impacts. Crews are also continuing landscaping, fencing, irrigation, and trail work throughout the project area. Eliot Street will reopen after remaining construction work is completed and crews and equipment are demobilized. Click below for the full update.

On Friday, Councilmember Duggan hosted the Alamitos Bay Stakeholders Meeting and the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier Working Group, bringing together City staff, community stakeholders, and other partners to discuss ongoing projects and priorities for Alamitos Bay and the future of the Pier.

Help make the holidays brighter for local families! Long Beach City College is proud to host its 5th Annual Toy Drive benefiting low-income single-parent students and their children. Community members are invited to donate new, unwrapped toys or make a monetary contribution to help ensure every child experiences the joy of the holiday season.

Join neighbors across Long Beach this morning from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for the 42nd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers will be working at nine locations throughout Long Beach, including Mother’s Beach, Belmont Pier, Alamitos Bay Marina, Junipero Beach, Bluff Park and Shoreline Park.

Gloves and trash bags will be provided, though volunteers are encouraged to bring reusable work gloves, buckets or grabbers if available. Last year, more than 950 Long Beach volunteers removed over 2,375 pounds of debris in just three hours.

Check out our traffic & parking advisory in CD3 neighborhoods. Residents should plan ahead as several upcoming events may impact parking availability and traffic flow in our neighborhoods.

We encourage residents to allow extra travel time, anticipate parking impacts, and use alternate routes when possible.