14-Foot Sand Berm Rises to Guard the Shoreline

Seal Beach, CA · September 19, 2026

Marine fog is keeping the morning cool while bulldozers push sand into a protective barrier along the water. Grab a warm brew before heading toward the boardwalk.

The Lead

Following high surf that swamped carports and breached walkways along Seal Way earlier this month, Orange County declared a local emergency on Friday for severe coastal erosion. For waterfront homeowners, the threat is no longer distant. Climate scientists recently briefed municipal leaders that an impending winter El Niño could generate historically intense swells, elevating coastal flood risks through March.

In response, city public works crews are marshaling heavy equipment across the beach to erect an emergency 14-foot sand berm stretching from the river jetty past the pier. The fortified ridge aims to absorb incoming ocean energy before swells can overtop the public boardwalk. Earthmoving teams will maintain the barrier throughout the storm season, while the county's emergency declaration clears an administrative path for state and federal relief funds to help reinforce the eroding coastline.

Local Pulse

Planning Commission Convenes at City Hall City Hall Commissioners gather Monday evening in council chambers to review downtown property variances and coastal development permits.
Fall Adult Sports Return to Action Parks Recreational basketball and softball rosters begin play Monday night at the McGaugh gymnasium and Zoeter Field.

Today's Outlook

High 74°F · Low 63°F — Fog
- Expect morning fog to linger along the coastline before cool breezes take over.

What's On Around Town

Today

Love Our City Cleanup Seal Beach Pier, 9:00 AM–Noon · Free Pitch in at the pier to scour the shoreline for debris.
Fall Equinox Reset & Sound Bath Pacific Coast Center for Spiritual Living (500 Marina Dr), 1:30 PM · Paid Unwind with restorative crystal sound bowls to welcome the change of season.
State of the Arts Celebration 215 E 1st St, Long Beach, 6:00 PM · Free Live music, street performances, and civic exhibits honoring regional creators.
Stage Magic Competition North Seal Beach Community Center, 7:00 PM · Paid Watch regional illusionists test brand-new sleight-of-hand tricks live on stage.

Tomorrow

Sunday Jazz and Soul Brunch Spaghettini (3005 Old Ranch Pkwy), 11:00 AM · Paid
Nick Moss Band Live Blues Marni's (620 Pacific Coast Hwy), 4:00 PM · Paid
Open Mic Jam Session American Legion Post 716 (3252 Florista St), Los Alamitos, 6:00–8:00 PM · Free

Monday

Adult League Basketball McGaugh Gym, 6:30 PM · Free
Planning Commission Meeting City Hall (211 Eighth St), 7:00 PM · Free

Spotlight & Story

The Hill
- Rising just forty feet above sea level, this quiet postwar pocket earned its grandiose moniker simply for being the only dry bump on a flat coastal prairie. Hellman Ranch sold the former barley fields in 1952, creating spacious lots where generations still watch marine fog roll across Old Town rooftops.

Seal Beach Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.

Sent with care by MailerDot — your city, every morning.