Why I shot this photo

I had been following news reports for several days about powerful waves hitting beachfront homes in Long Beach, California, and the damage seemed to be getting worse. Monday was expected to be one of the last days of the strongest waves generated by the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, so I decided to go see this for myself.

The waves had been pounding these homes for days, washing away sand and threatening their foundations. I was struck by how little protection seemed to remain between the homes and the ocean.