Hurricane Marie, churning hundreds of miles off California’s Pacific coast, whipped up dangerous flooding and surf conditions at Southern California beaches over the Labor Day weekend, with strong rip currents and towering waves posing a serious threat to swimmers and surfers.
Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said on Sunday that the storm had stirred up “life-threatening” conditions even though its centre remained well out at sea. “We’re getting reports from lifeguards that the surf conditions are very dangerous, specifically the rip currents,” Schoenfeld told The Associated Press.
Hurricane Marie California: How dangerous are the surf conditions right now?
Schoenfeld said some south-facing beaches had seen surf reaching up to 10 feet, with the National Hurricane Center warning that the hazardous beach conditions were expected to persist for another couple of days. The National Weather Service advised the public to swim only near lifeguards and to stay well clear of rock jetties given the strength of the currents moving both along the shoreline and out to sea.
Hurricane Marie California: What have lifeguards reported so far?
Adam Yacenda, lifeguard battalion chief for the Newport Beach fire department, said the city’s lifeguards carried out 177 rescues on Saturday alone as swimmers were caught out by the powerful currents. He said strong currents were affecting the shoreline from one end of the beach to the other, describing conditions as “red-flag” throughout, and urged that only experienced swimmers attempt to enter the water while the advisory remained in effect. “We are red-flag conditions from one end of our beach to the other,” he said.
Hurricane Marie California: Is Hurricane Marie expected to make landfall?
Marie is not forecast to make landfall in California and was expected to weaken to a tropical storm by late Sunday as it continued tracking northwest of the Baja California peninsula, having earlier reached category 2 strength with sustained winds of around 100 miles per hour. Despite remaining offshore, the storm is expected to keep bringing rain to parts of Los Angeles County before it eventually dissipates.
Hurricane Marie California: What flooding and rainfall risks are authorities tracking?
Schoenfeld said some parts of the region had already recorded as much as a quarter of an inch of rain, with officials warning that runoff from the additional rainfall could combine with elevated surf to raise the risk of coastal flooding along beaches, bike paths, roads and some low-lying neighbourhoods.
Hurricane Marie California: Which beach closures and advisories are in effect?
Long Beach’s city health officer issued an advisory on Sunday warning residents not to swim at any of the city’s beaches or bays for at least three days, citing concerns that stormwater runoff from drains and rivers could create unhealthy swimming conditions. Seal Beach, a coastal city in Orange County, said it would close two beachfront parking lots until Wednesday morning “to protect life and property during the anticipated elevated surf and coastal flooding conditions,” though the Seal Beach Municipal Pier itself remained open to the public.
Hurricane Marie California: What are officials advising the public to do?
With hazardous surf conditions expected to persist for several more days, authorities are urging beachgoers to heed all posted advisories, avoid swimming in areas without lifeguard supervision, and steer well clear of jetties and other structures where rip currents tend to concentrate. Coastal cities across the region are expected to continue monitoring conditions and adjusting closures and advisories as Marie continues to weaken and move further from the coast in the coming days.
