Port of Long Beach, Business Continuity and Recovery

The Port of Long Beach, the second busiest container port in the United States of America, plans for resilience and business continuity in the face of climate change and coastal hazards (Port of Long Beach, 2024). The port developed a Climate Adaptation and Coastal Resiliency Plan addressing direct and indirect risks from climate change and coastal hazards, with recommendations for near term protective measures and long-term strategies. The plan identifies critical infrastructure vulnerable to flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise, with specific adaptation measures for specific vulnerable sites, such as the Pier S shoreline.

During the COVID 19 pandemic (2020 to 2022), the Port of Long Beach activated an internal Business Recovery Task Force that worked with customers, industry partners, labor, and government agencies to support continuity of port and supply-chain operations during the pandemic (Maritime Executive, 2020). In May 2020 the port handled 628,205 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), 9.5 percent more than in May 2019 (Maritime Executive, 2020). The port credited the dockworkers' union, truckers, terminal operators, and other stakeholders with keeping it open throughout the pandemic.

As of February 2026, the Joint Command and Control Center microgrid had been constructed and installed, while commissioning and related tests were ongoing. It is designed to support this critical emergency response facility during grid outages (California Energy Commission, 2026).

The port's 2026 to 2035 capital improvement plan of more than USD 3.2 billion directs funding to rail, utilities and stormwater, waterfront infrastructure, and zero emissions equipment (Port of Long Beach, 2025). For DMC ports, the Long Beach experience demonstrates how resilience planning, stakeholder coordination, and backup power for critical facilities can support operational resilience during major external shocks.