New storm bringing more rain, dangerous surf to California as Ventura cleans up after massive waves
A new rainstorm was expected to move into Southern California on Friday night as residents in some coastal communities dug out from big waves that damaged homes, closed beaches and left several people injured.
The West Coast is being inundated with rain and high surf thanks to powerful cyclonic storms spinning hundreds of miles off the coast and over the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said. From Medford, Ore., down to Los Angeles County, the end of the year will be awash in high surf, rain and coastal flooding.
Emergency officials are asking people to avoid the beaches and shorelines over the weekend. All beaches and coastal parks in hard-hit Ventura County were closed Friday and will remain closed over the New Year’s weekend, including the Ventura Pier, seaside campgrounds and harbor entries, officials said. In Los Angeles County, the Manhattan Beach Pier will also be closed over the weekend and the Hermosa Beach Pier will be closed Saturday because of the high surf.
“Our recommendation is not to venture into the water, especially in those areas where the surf is showing heavy activity and large swells,” said Pono Barnes, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division. “It’s not the best day to start your surfing journey or testing your skills in the water if you’re not 100% confident.”
Amid a high surf and flood advisory along California’s coastline, National Weather Service advises people to stay away from the water.
High surf battered the California coast on Thursday, with Ventura County particularly hard hit. The conditions eased Friday, but dangerous waves were expected to return Saturday when Southern California beaches could see 6- to 12-foot waves, with more rain expected, according to the National Weather Service.
The next storm system is expected to arrive first in San Luis Obispo County by Friday afternoon, and will make its way south along the coast, cooling temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees, according to the weather service. But in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, residents can expect an offshore flow from the east that brings a few degrees of warming temperatures on Friday.
Overnight, the storm will arrive along the Central Coast with rain expected in Los Angeles County by late Saturday morning. The forecast calls for several hours of rain, including a few hours of intense showers, and cooler temperatures.
“We’re expecting significant rainfall for two to three hours on Saturday,” said meteorologist David Sweet, of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It’s not going to be as strong as the storm system we saw last week, for a few hours it will cause some nuisance flooding. Drivers should be aware of puddling in roadways and give themselves more time or slow down.”
Forecasts show a slight chance of rain on New Year’s Eve in the Pasadena area and lingering through New Year’s Day. The forecast shows a 20% to 30% chance for light rain.
The National Weather Service is also tracking a second system of strong waves that are expected to arrive by Saturday, with 15- to 20-foot waves, including sets of up to 25-foot waves, along the Central Coast. Ventura County beaches are expected to receive 10- to 15-foot waves, with 20-foot sets. Santa Barbara County beaches along the South Coast will be hit with 7- to 12-foot waves and in some areas 15- to 20- foot sets along west-facing beaches near Point Conception, according to forecasts.
The high surf that pummeled Southern California this week took a breather Friday, but officials warned people to avoid the beach as another round of strong waves is expected this weekend.
The San Francisco Bay Area could see 28- to 33-foot waves, with some 40 foot waves, when the National Weather Service issues a high surf warning on Saturday, said meteorologist Roger Gass with the National Weather Service in Monterey, Calif.
“Last winter, in January, we saw similar conditions,” Gass said.
High surf warnings will be in effect through Saturday night for the Southern California region. Along with the high surf advisory for Los Angeles-area beaches, the weather service issued a coastal flood advisory through 10 p.m. Saturday.
While the high surf is expected to die down by Sunday, officials advise people to stay out of the water and away from beaches over the weekend because of coastal erosion, flooding and strong rip tides.
“Take caution and heed the direction of local authorities and lifeguards,” the National Weather Service said. “Never ever turn your back to the water as damaging and life-threatening sneaker waves are likely to occur.”
On the Ventura County coast, residents were assessing the damage.
Eight spectators in Ventura were injured after being struck by a massive wave. Officials warn against nearing the ocean during a high surf advisory.
A series of strong waves pummeled the Ventura coast on Thursday morning, including a rogue wave that sent onlookers scrambling as the water swept past seaside barriers and barreled down city streets. At least eight people were injured and several businesses were damaged as the waves broke windows and flooded buildings, according to authorities.
The Inn on the Beach, a boutique hotel located along the coast, was closed because of flooding, Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath said.
Dramatic videos emerged of one wave smashing onto the Ventura coast and water inundating streets, forcing people to run for their lives.
The wave smashed glass on the patios of rooms facing the ocean at the motel and flooding rooms with about 2 feet of water. Furniture was thrown around the rooms and the lobby was covered in mud and sand, said hotel manager Jay Williams.
The powerful wave dragged a man a short distance down the street, while some people became trapped in the water near their cars. The county fire department also rescued at least 15 people out of the ocean Thursday morning during high tide, but none were injured.
Unsuspecting sneaker waves did and could continue to hit the California coastline during the coastal flood and surf warnings. What to know about sneaker waves.
Despite the extensive damage, Williams remained optimistic.
“It was a great hotel,” he told The Times Thursday. “And it will be again.”
By Friday afternoon, workers were already gutting the inn.
Crews worked to pull mattresses, headboards and other pieces of furniture out of the hotel — piling them into a massive dumpster. The front lobby had already been cleared of carpets and other furniture.
The wave that crashed over the barrier is known as a “sneaker wave,” officials said.
The powerful waves are created by larger than average swells that can suddenly and without warning surge much farther inland than expected, breaking over rocks and lifting logs or driftwood onto the beach with deadly force, according to the National Weather Service. Some sneaker waves can surge more than 150 feet up the beach, catching people off guard, causing them to lose their footing and even sweeping them back into the ocean, according to officials.
By Friday afternoon, the Ventura Pier was out of commission as construction crews repaired damaged pylons. Nearby the renowned Surfers Point near the Ventura County Fairgrounds was back in full swing. A dozen surfers could be seen bobbing in the water, watched carefully by lifeguards on the shore and at least one on a jet ski.
Just north of the town Half Moon Bay, on the coast between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, the surf break known as Mavericks saw more than a dozen surfers catching waves, with thousands of spectators gathered at the cliffs to watch, said Tina Lourenco, who works at Old Princeton Landing — a popular restaurant and bar for locals and surfers in Half Moon Bay.
Big surf roared into Southern California as a winter swell built up through the day; it’s expected to stick around through Friday.
Duke’s Beach Grill, located not too far from Inn on the Beach, was open for business Friday.
“One of our employees, her dad actually happened to close the door like right when the wave came through so nothing came in,” said Janelle Bowers, the restaurant’s co-owner. “If it wasn’t for that, I don’t know.”
Restaurant employee Marisol Sanchez had arrived at work Thursday morning, moments before the rogue wave flooded South Seaward Avenue.
Security footage showed Sanchez exiting her car and walking to the front door. She turns to look toward the beach.
“Literally like two seconds later … right away it just comes,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez dove into the restaurant just ahead of the rush of water.
While spared much physical damage, the wave nevertheless hit the restaurant’s bottom line. Duke’s was closed all day Thursday and only opened late on Friday.
Normally bustling on a Friday afternoon, especially around the holiday season when tourists flock to Ventura, the restaurant was filled with only a few dozen people, most of them locals, Bowers said.
A “road closed” sign seemed to deter anyone else.
“It’s normally a really busy time for us,” she said.
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