Big waves swelled by distant Hurricane Marie kept lifeguards busy at Orange and Los Angeles county beaches Wednesday as surfers braved the roiling waters, and officials warned inexperienced swimmers to stay out of the ocean.
Los Angeles County lifeguards reported making 115 ocean rescues on Tuesday, when the large waves began pounding the coast. By 2 p.m. today, 118 had been made.
As many as 65 rescues were made Wednesday in Malibu alone, where the massive waves attracted hordes of surfers.
The National Weather Service called the high surf “the most significant southerly swell event since July 25, 1996.”
At the Wedge in Newport Beach, officials said waves were ranging from 10 to 20 feet, but some people on the beach said the waves were reaching up to 25 feet. Thousands of people crowded onto the sand to watch the display, causing traffic jams on surrounding streets.
Lifeguards made about 10 rescues by mid-afternoon in Newport Beach, according to city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan.
A team of lifeguards swam into the rough surf about 9 a.m. at the Wedge when a worn-out body surfer was unable to make it out of the water. Once they reached the man, they were unable to get him back to shore, so they actually guided him farther from the beach to a waiting rescue boat.
The body surfer sustained a “minor injury,” and lifeguards on the rescue boat treated him before dropping him off with Newport Beach paramedics inside the harbor, Finnigan said.
At 10:30 a.m., a stand-up paddleboarder/surfer got caught in a “strong current” and was unable to “free himself from his board/leash,” Finnigan said.
Lifeguards freed him and guided him back to shore with his board, she added.
By the afternoon, beachgoers were “generally understanding the hazards and remaining on the sand,” Finnigan said.
At Seal Beach, there were two rescues today, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.
The high tide was at 11:04 a.m., but the large sets are expected to continue through today and into tomorrow, Finnigan said. Sets in the afternoon were in the 10- to 15-foot range, she added.
In Malibu, where a surfer died on Tuesday, surfers continued to brave the waters. Among them was professional surfer Laird Hamilton, who helped pull a struggling swimmer from the ocean shortly after he entered the water this
morning.
Shortly after 2 p.m., a surfer who lost his board was clinging to a piling under the Malibu Pier and was safely pulled from the water.
County lifeguards warned that only the most experienced swimmers and surfers should be in the water, preaching the advice: “If you are in doubt, do not go out.”
The Malibu Pier remained closed because the pounding surf damaged one of the pilings on Tuesday. Because of the waves, Portuguese Point, Sacred Cove, Pelican Cove and Inspiration Point in Rancho Palos Verdes will remain closed until Friday.
Parking was at a premium near most surf breaks, with cars jamming public lots at Newport Beach and cars lining Pacific Coast Highway through 21-mile-long Malibu.
Newport Beach police, meanwhile, were reporting “there is absolutely no parking left,” Finnigan said.
“We’re recommending that if people aren’t there already, they shouldn’t attempt to get there,” Finnigan added.
Traffic was “heavily congested all along the Balboa Peninsula,” Finnigan said.
Some veteran surfers said the waves were the biggest they had seen in 20 years or so.
The biggest waves are breaking on south-facing beaches, and forecasters expect the energy from the storm to
“There is a potential for damaging and life-threatening surf across south- and southeast-facing of Los Angeles and Ventura counties,” the National Weather Service stated.
“Surf this large will have the potential to cause structural damage and significant beach erosion,” according to the NWS, and low-lying areas risk some minor coastal flooding around high tide.
Some flooding occurred overnight in Seal Beach, with surging ocean water reaching beachfront homes. Crews on bulldozers hastily built berms along Seal Beach overnight in hopes of preventing further damage.
In Long Beach, crews worked throughout the morning to build berms on beaches, and officials said no water had reached the street in the Long Beach Peninsula. As a precaution, Ocean Boulevard was closed to everyone but
residents between 55th Place and 72nd Place.
Officials at the Port of Long Beach said the storm surge forced two cargo-handling companies — Total Terminals International and Crescent Terminals — to suspend the loading and unloading of ships. Crescent officials reported that they were experiencing some flooding, according to the port.
Port officials said two barges broke loose from their moorings overnight and were towed to different docks.
Catalina Express temporarily halted its runs between Long Beach and Avalon because the surging seas — waves were crashing over the breakwater at the ports — were making it difficult to dock the big ferries. The company resumed service by late afternoon.
