Hurricane Marie brought heavy swells and dangerous rip currents to the Southern California coast over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Although the storm remained far out at sea off Baja California, it caused significant flooding in low-lying coastal areas.
In Seal Beach, ocean water surged into parking lots near the pier on Saturday, trapping vehicles and forcing beachgoers to flee.
Roughly a dozen people joined forces to push an overwhelmed vehicle out of the rising floodwaters.
Emergency crews responded to the flooding by constructing a sand berm and pumping seawater back into the ocean.
Authorities expect the inundated parking lots at 8th Street and 10th Street to remain closed through Wednesday.
Expressing disbelief at the sudden ocean surge, local resident Clifford Scarborough noted that waves are usually only 1 to 2 feet high.
Scarborough remarked on the unusual nature of the event: “This is crazy.”
He added that residents are simply not used to such storms.
Reflecting on the ocean’s immense power, Scarborough offered his perspective on the incident: “We have to respect nature.”
The National Weather Service issued coastal flood and high surf advisories, warning of widespread and strong rip currents.
With waves reaching up to 8 feet at standout spots like Zuma Beach and Malibu, lifeguards braced for an extremely busy weekend.
Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguard specialist Jake Miller indicated that rescue numbers could double to more than 1,000 over the holiday.
While rain also fell across the region on Sunday, forecasters expect a transition to a significant warming trend starting Monday.