High Surf, Some Flooding Expected : Think It’s Wet Now? Wait for Weekend

Heavier rain, high winds and pounding surf are expected along the San Diego coast beginning today when a vigorous storm arrives for the holiday weekend.

One to two inches of rain and heavy downpour through Saturday may cause flooding inland as well, forecasters said.

According to forecasters, the leading edge of the storm, which was about 550 miles off the San Diego coast Thursday afternoon, should bring heavy showers to the county by this afternoon or evening.

The big waves, however, may arrive sooner. National Weather Service forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said the storm’s center, about 1,500 miles out at sea, was generating tremendous winds and rough seas that could kick up high surf here before the rain arrives.

A heavy surf advisory was issued for this afternoon for waves of 8 to 12 feet with possible breakers up to 16 feet. Shigehara said a small-craft advisory and traveler’s advisory would probably be issued today.

The storm is expected to weaken Sunday, and the rain may stop in time for the Presidents’ Day holiday on Monday, Shigehara said.

The brunt of the storm was expected to be in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties--which was bad news for residents of areas devastated by roaring brush fires last summer. The weather service issued a flash-flood alert and a high-wind warning for western San Luis Obispo County. With sea conditions deteriorating rapidly, gale warnings were posted offshore.

San Diego city coordinator Bill Wolf and volunteers for the Emergency Management Office were distributing flyers along the beach front Thursday afternoon, an office secretary said. The flyers not only directed beach dwellers where to buy sand bags but gave storm tips to follow under flood conditions.

Winds from 15 to 40 m.p.h. were predicted along with the high surf, and flooding is expected along the Mission Beach boardwalk.

High tides will be: 3.5 feet at 12:24 p.m. today; 4.7 feet at 1 a.m. Saturday; 2.8 feet at 1:43 p.m. Saturday, and 4.6 feet at 1:50 a.m. Sunday.

Shigehara said the 1 a.m. high tide early Saturday will be the most hazardous. “We should be in the middle of the storm at that time,” he said. “It should be raining hard with very strong winds and heavy surf. A good combination to produce big waves.”

Flooding may also occur inland, forecasters said. “With that much rain, we do expect problems. Intersections will be running high with water, and creek levels may go up,” Shigehara said.

Technicians at the flood control section of the Department of Public Works were testing rain and river gauges throughout the city Thursday in preparation for heavy rains and possible flooding in urban areas.

Unincorporated areas of the county, including Las Coches Creek in Lakeside, are being watched for flash flooding, said operations officer Marina Wright at the county Office of Disaster Preparedness.

Two to three inches of rain may fall in the mountains, but the chance of snow is slight, Shigehara said. Unlike the last heavy storm from Alaska, this storm originated over the Pacific and traveled here from Hawaii. The snow level is not expected to fall below 6,000 feet. At most, forecasters predicted a dusting of snow on the mountaintops.

In Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, flash-flood watches were lifted but expected to be reimposed before this morning in hillside areas where last year’s brush fires made mud slides likely.

Flash-flood watches were in effect along the Central California coast--especially in those areas of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties where fires roared across thousands of acres of brush and timber last summer.

In Los Angeles County, three men were pulled from the storm-tossed ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula by a Coast Guard helicopter Thursday morning when their 60-foot salvage vessel sank. Harvey L. Hosler of Cudahy, Thomas R. Carter, 23, and Gary Smithers, also 23, of Stanton were flown to Torrance Memorial Hospital, where they were pronounced in good condition and released.

Nearly a dozen cars were involved and two people received minor injuries in a morning rush-hour accident on the southbound Harbor Freeway in Carson. In downtown Los Angeles, the driver of a pickup truck was hospitalized with a broken leg after it collided with two Southern California Rapid Transit District buses and a semi-trailer truck.

Temperatures throughout San Diego county will be cooler than normal during the day, but nighttime lows will be moderate. Highs along the coast, inland and in the desert are expected to be in the 60s. Lows in all three areas should hover in the 40s. Mountain highs will range from 38 to 45, with nighttime lows expected in the 30s. Winds in the mountains may reach 40 m.p.h.

RAIN IN THE REGION

Rainfall past 24 hours 0.03 in.

Rainfall this month 0.99 in.

Rainfall since July 1 8.21 in.

Total last season to date 8.67 in.

Normal rainfall to date 5.89 in. Rainfall figures from Lindbergh Field as of 4 p.m. Season runs July 1 to June 30.