Hurricane Polo, Tropical Storm Odalys send dangerous surf to Southern California coast
Forecasters are warning about dangerous conditions at Southern California beaches this week, with high surf, erosion and possible coastal flooding, as a pair of storms roil warm Pacific waters and send yet more southerly swells toward the shoreline.
Warning areas and potential impact
Hurricane Polo and Tropical Storm Odalys are expected to affect ocean waters through the middle of the week.
The most impactful swell should reach the region’s coastline Monday and Tuesday, with wave heights around 4 to 7 feet in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, 3 to 5 feet along the Santa Barbara south coast, and as high as 7 feet at the Wedge in Newport Beach, according to the National Weather Service.
That swell will coincide with astronomical high tides in the late morning hours of Monday and Tuesday, which will likely reach around 7 feet, the forecast states.
Those high tides are nearly a foot higher than usual due to the ongoing effects of a strong El Niño, which raises both sea surface temperatures and sea levels, according to the Weather Service.
Although this swell is slightly smaller than the one generated by Hurricane Marie earlier this month, some south-facing beaches, including in Long Beach, Malibu and Catalina Island’s Avalon Bay, are especially vulnerable because they have already sustained erosion, the forecast states.
Localized structure damage is possible, as is shallow seawater flooding over low-lying beach walkways, parking lots and roads, according to the Weather Service.
The Pacific has been unusually active this season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec, with storm activity running above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season.
