Beachside Communities Prepare For Possible Storm Flooding
SEAL BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Southland beachside communities are preparing for possible flooding due to a powerful storm system.
The National Weather Service has issued two weather advisories in the Orange County area—one pertaining to high surf and the other to coastal flooding, which will occur during high tide early Friday morning.
"We are expecting high intensity rain through tomorrow. And we want people to know that they need to prepare for a large amount of water coming in," Seal Beach police Cpl. Michael Henderson said.
CBS2's Michele Gile reported that some members of the Seal Beach community were loading their vehicles with sandbags.
Bobbie Sewell, 82, asked police if they would fill sandbags and deliver them to her home.
"That makes me feel a lot better. The floor on the inside is probably only about that far above the slab," she said.
Some other residents, however, weren't too worried about the situation.
"We've flooded every once in a while, but we have the new drains that pump out the water, so I think that'll help us. But I think we'll be okay," Rich King said.
The Pacific storm is also forecast to bring 14 to 16 feet high waves to Seal Beach on Saturday. Originally, the prediction was 10 to 12 feet.
The Coast Guard has urged boaters, swimmers and surfers to use extreme caution on, in or near the water.
"For this storm, they're predicting we might be getting some rough surf, some strong rip currents, water spouts, even lightening hitting the water, as well as some heavy rain and flooding," Coast Guard Petty Officer Connie Terrell said.
Coast Guard Urges Southland To Prepare For Storm
Officials said the high surf, coupled with the high tide and wind, could create problems near the pier and for the homes on Seal Way.
"In some instances we have seen flooding in Seal Way. However, the berm is in great shape still. We haven't had a lot of storms that have broken that down this winter. Hopefully, that will hold the water back. We will see a little bit of pooling underneath the pier. That's totally normal. That's what it's designed to do," Marine Safety Officer Nick Bolin said.
KCAL9's Stacey Butler reported that the Orange County Fire Authority is ready for the downpour.
"We've got two swift-water units staffed starting tonight," Capt. Joe Brock said.
Swift-water rescue teams are on standby from 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday.
"Three to five inches in a short period of time is a lot of water, so all that eventually flows out toward the ocean so it fills all of our creeks that are normally dry," Brock said.
Meantime, Southern California Edison has planned a power outage on Saturday night into Sunday morning for Seal Beach. A spokesperson said 5,000 residents will be affected.
