Beach Lots Reopen as Weekend Swells Subside
Seal Beach, CA · October 12, 2026
Piles of driftwood and washed-up kelp line the sands after yesterday’s push from Tropical Storm Rachel, but the coastal berms held firm. A quieter week begins this morning, clearing the way for evening civic routines and calm strolls along the water.
The Lead
City crews are out across the shoreline this morning clearing debris and reopening beach parking lots that were shuttered over the weekend as precautionary buffers. Elevated ocean swells and high tides driven by Tropical Storm Rachel pushed surge water against coastal defenses on Sunday, testing the temporary sand berms constructed along the oceanfront. While neighboring beaches in Newport and Long Beach saw seawater spill into low-lying roads and driveways, the local fortifications largely kept the tide at bay, with no major structural damage reported to municipal facilities or oceanfront homes. With water levels receding, marine safety officers reopened vehicular access to the First Street and Tenth Street beach lots at dawn. Heavy machinery remains stationed near the pier to dress down windblown sand before public works transitions back to scheduled autumn drainage maintenance.
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Today's Outlook
- High 70°F · Low 60°F — Drizzle (30% chance of precipitation)
- Keep a light jacket handy this morning for the damp, breezy drizzle.
What's On Around Town
Today
Get Moving Storytime Mary Wilson Branch Library (707 Electric Ave), 10:30–11:30 AM · Free Active stories, music, and social play designed for toddlers and preschoolers.
Free Yoga on the Bluff Yogalution on the Bluff, Long Beach, 11:00 AM–Noon · Free Outdoor, ocean-view movement class open to all experience levels.
Anniversary Evening at Selva Selva (4137 E Anaheim St), Long Beach, 7:00–10:00 PM · Free First-year celebration featuring chef specials, local art, and live music.
Tomorrow
- Adult Craft Group: Hojalata Art Mary Wilson Branch Library (707 Electric Ave), 2:00–3:00 PM · Free
- Open Mic Night Bogart's Coffee House (905 Ocean Ave), 7:00 PM · Free
- Trivia Night Marni's (620 Pacific Coast Hwy), 7:00 PM · Free
Wednesday
- The Quest for Self Meditation Pacific Coast Center for Spiritual Living (500 Marina Dr), 11:00 AM
- Craftin' Kids: Shrinky Dinks Los Altos Neighborhood Library (5614 E Britton Dr), Long Beach, 3:00–4:00 PM · Free
- Wednesday Trivia SteelCraft Long Beach (3768 Long Beach Blvd), Long Beach, 6:00–8:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- The Derby Roller Coaster In 1916, the wooden behemoth arrived from San Francisco's world's fair to anchor the beachfront Joy Zone. At its peak, 20,000 riders a week screamed over the breakers before fire destroyed the tracks in the late 1920s.
Seal Beach Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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