No homes were damaged on the Long Beach Peninsula Wednesday night during the extreme high tide occurring at approximately 11 p.m. due to Hurricane Marie, but there was one casualty.
Greggory Moore, a resident of downtown Long Beach who ventured to the Peninsula to “see the big waves, dude” was slightly injured in the area of 63 Place when the largest swell of the night easily crested the 15-foot berm at all horizontal points of the compass from this reporter’s vantage point and streamed across the sand with enough volume and force to dislodge a 10-foot plywood board set up by the Department of Public Works at the edge of the boardwalk as a final layer of protection for the oceanfront homes.
Moore was standing on the deck wall of a very smart house, when the huge swell propelled the board edge-on across the boardwalk, where it struck Moore square in the shins. Moore declined to seek medical attention, saying only, “Whoa!”
Because Moore’s presence prevented the board from striking and possibly damaging the house, President Barack Obama will be in Long Beach during BuskerFest on Saturday, September 6, where he will present Moore with the Medal of Freedom.