Storm creates huge waves and dangerous currents at southern California beaches

Hurricane Marie, well out in the Pacific, created flooding and dangerous conditions at some southern California beaches over Labor Day weekend, with strong currents and huge waves presenting a threat to swimmers and surfers.

Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Sunday that Marie stirred up “life-threatening” conditions as it churned in the ocean hundreds of miles off California’s Pacific coast. Some south-facing beaches have seen surf up to 10 feet (3 meters) high, she said.

“We’re getting reports from lifeguards that the surf conditions are very dangerous, specifically the rip currents,” Schoenfeld said.

Hurricane Marie won’t make landfall and is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by late Sunday, but will still bring rain to parts of Los Angeles County before it dissipates. Some parts of the area have already seen as much as a quarter inch of rain in the few hours since it started at around 4 a.m. local time, Schoenfeld said.

The National Weather Service advised people to swim only near lifeguards and to stay off rock jetties.

Long Beach’s city health officer on Sunday issued an advisory warning people not to swim at any of the city’s beaches or bays for at least three days. The advisory warned that significant rainfall since Saturday was expected to produce runoff from storm drains and rivers and create unhealthy conditions for swimmers.

Seal Beach, a coastal city in Orange County, announced Sunday that it would close two beachfront parking lots until Wednesday morning “to protect life and property during the anticipated elevated surf and coastal flooding conditions.” The Seal Beach Municipal Pier remained open.

Adam Yacenda, lifeguard battalion chief for the fire department in Newport Beach, a coastal city around 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles, said the beach’s lifeguards carried out 177 rescues Saturday.

Although the beach has seen far higher waves this summer than in past years, that number of daily rescues is still significant, he said.

“Any time you’re approaching over 100, that’s a busy day,” he said.

Yacenda said only experts should venture into waves in the area. Strong currents are moving along the shoreline and out to sea, with “very strong rip currents,” he said.

“We are red-flag conditions from one end of our beach to the other,” he said.

The storm brought the potential for coastal flooding along beaches, bike paths, roads and some low-lying neighborhoods.

The National Hurricane Center warned Sunday that the dangerous beach conditions were expected to last for another couple of days.

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Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago, and Associated Press reporter Ryan J. Foley contributed. Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.