Thread: High surf pounds Southern California coast

High surf pounds Southern California coast

September 1, 2011 | 4:02pm

The unusually high surf pounding the Southern California coast will peak Thursday, prompting warnings of possible coastal flooding and treacherous swimming conditions at the beach.

The National Weather Service has issued a high-surf advisory through 5 p.m. Friday, warning of up to 11-foot waves on south- and southwest-facing beaches.

Newport Beach officials said waves there reached 10 feet to 13 feet at the beaches and 20 feet at the Wedge. Flooding had subsided from the streets, but water breached at least one parking lot along the Balboa Peninsula.

The surf is expected to generate strong and dangerous rip currents.

In Laguna Beach, lifeguards closed the parking lot at Aliso Beach on Wednesday afternoon after a high tide brought heavy deposits of sand and debris ashore, an Orange County parks spokeswoman said.

Capistrano Beach had its parking lot closed Thursday after the waves washed up sand and debris and damaged a wooden boardwalk.

The U.S. called off its search Thursday for swimmer Jowayne Binford, 26, of Long Beach, who was last seen about 6 p.m. Wednesday about 200 yards offshore of Seal Beach.

Lifeguards warned beachgoers to avoid the heavy surf, or at the very least use caution.

"You should have very good, strong swimming abilities and fins if you're going to even think about going in the water at this point," said Section Chief Garth Canning of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's lifeguard division. "Most of the surf that we're seeing up and down the coast is beyond most people's ability."

Swimmers should talk to lifeguards before entering the water to make sure it is safe, Canning said, because even 5- to 6-foot waves can have a face that is up to 10 feet high. If you get stuck in a rip current, swim to the side to avoid being swept out to sea.

While the surf, brought to the region by a southwest swell that originated off the coast of New Zealand, is expected to abate starting Friday, waves will be larger than normal through the Labor Day weekend.

The violent surf has chewed up the shoreline the last few days and left holes in the sandy bottom, so wave conditions will be unpredictable for several days.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... coast.html

Marijuana washes up on Ventura County beach

September 1, 2011 | 2:24pm

A search-and-rescue operation quickly turned into a drug-smuggling investigation Thursday morning when authorities found 250 pounds of cargo from a damaged boat that turned out to be marijuana.

The occupants of the boat fled before authorities arrived.

The boat, split in two on rocks south of Point Mugu State Park, came to the attention of state parks rangers who were patrolling a coastline that had become especially treacherous due to unusually high surf.

Rescuers who arrived first came upon debris: floating gasoline containers and marijuana packaged neatly in burlap bags. Farther south, marooned among rocks, was what remained of a splintered 20-foot fishing boat.

“We did not find injured people along the beach or in the water,â€