Hurricane Marie, which caused 10-to 15-foot high wave surges
in Southern California in late August, also resulted in three breaches in the
breakwater that protects the Port of Long Beach, the Army Corps of Engineers
confirmed Sept. 4.
About 200 hundred tons of rocks from the so-called Middle
Breakwater were displaced during the storm, and the breeches could grow even
larger as additional waves strike and erode the areas, according to the Army
Corps.
“The next step is to develop a plan to repair the damage,
which ranges from breach to significant damage to moderate damage to minor
damage,” Corps of Engineers spokesman Greg Fuderer said.
Hurricane Marie grew into a large and powerful Category 5
storm and moved west-northwestward off the Pacific Coast of Mexico in late
August, causing dangerous conditions from the Baja California Peninsula up
through Southern California.
The two-mile long Middle Breakwater, which was completed in
1949, was built to protect the US Pacific Fleet and now shields ships entering
the Port of Long Beach from large waves.
Hurricane Marie’s 10-15 foot waves resulted in the
suspension of vessel operations at two Port of Long Beach marine terminals Aug.
27 after longshore workers were endangered by the surges.
Total Terminals International on Pier T, with two
Mediterranean Shipping Co. container ships at berth, and Crescent Terminals on
Pier F, with two break-bulk ships including an MOL roll-on/roll-off vessel at
berth, were the terminals that temporarily halted work as a result of the
waves.
