Newport Beach builds sand defenses against Pacific hurricanes

Newport Beach is accelerating the construction of a massive sand wall to protect the coastline from potential high surf, rain, and flooding caused by three hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean.

While Hurricane Marie is not expected to make direct landfall in California, it is forecast to intensify to Category 2 strength. City officials are deploying extra contractors to complete the protective berms in four days, a process that typically takes two weeks. The new barrier is being built to 20 feet high and 20 feet wide, significantly larger than previous defenses that failed during 2020 king tides.