Paris Porter, a sailor aiming for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has been left heartbroken after her rented beachfront home in Long Beach, California, was destroyed by Hurricane Rachel. The 30-year-old had been living in the property while targeting a spot at the Games, but has now had to find temporary accommodation at short notice.
Hurricane destroys Long Beach home
The Californian coast has been battered this month by Hurricane Rachel, and Porter's home on the Long Beach Peninsula was among those destroyed. She shared the news of the devastation in an Instagram post, thanking friends and family for their support as she and her husband RJ deal with the unexpected upheaval to their lives.
“You know that house you constantly see half-crumbled in the news, drone shots, and viral posts of the Long Beach Peninsula? Well, that was our home,” Porter wrote on Instagram. “Three hurricane swells in six weeks in Southern California? Unheard of… You see, it was a glitch in the system. An ocean front 1 bedroom that had everything we could have ever wanted. As an Olympic sailor aiming for LA2028 I was steps away from my playground (maybe a little too close).”
Community and memories lost
Porter reflected on the life she and her husband had built in the home, noting they went “from engaged to married” there and had family just three blocks away. She described their tradition of Wednesday night dinners with family and friends, as well as watching “numerous sunsets” from the windows.
“Although it’s true the Peninsula is home to many multi-million-dollar homes, our little community was far from that, and it was an absolute privilege to have lived there for a year and a half with awesome neighbors,” she wrote. “Seeing the destruction, not only to our house but to everyone around us, breaks our hearts. We are renters and can get up and move, but the sense of stability this apartment gave us was everything to me.”
Olympic ambitions remain
Porter attempted to put the heartbreak into perspective, recognising that her neighbours have lost “so much more”. Her next focus is sporting, with a chance to seal an Olympic spot if she can produce an impressive performance at next year’s World Sailing Championships in Fortaleza, Brazil.
The American competes in the 49er FX (Skiff) category, where the Netherlands took Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. She is listed under her maiden name of Paris Henken on the World Sailing website, with her most recent listed result a seventh-place finish at the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta. Porter previously competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics alongside British-born American sailor Helena Scutt. Her brother, Hans Henken, was a bronze medalist in Paris in 2024.
