SANTA MONICA, CA — Residents in Santa Monica were warned about large, dangerous waves and minor flooding along the coast as a weeks-long storm that battered Los Angeles County moves out of the area.
The National Weather Service forecasted waves could reach almost 7 feet through Wednesday with even higher tides forecast from Thursday through Monday, likely to reach close to 8 feet tall.
“There is an increased risk for ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Large breaking waves can cause injury, wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats near shore,” NWS said.
Due to the high tides, NWS warned that minor coastal flooding is likely around the time of high tide, but significant damage to roads or structures was not expected. Low-lying coastal areas could experience inundation of sea water and minor beach erosion according to the weather agency.
Officials said people should protect flood-prone property and remain out of the water due to possibly-deadly ocean conditions.
The warnings come at the tail-end of torrental rain storms that plagued the county and caused significant damage to roads and broke rainfall records in many cities throughout the area.
Tuesday and Wednesday should be mostly free of rain, although there will be a slight chance of some precipitation in the Los Angeles County mountains Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The bulk of that storm system is likely to remain north of the Los Angeles area, forecasters said.
Santa Monica had a 55 percent chance of rain on Tuesday, but additional rain in the coming week is not likely with only a 25 percent chance of rain forecast on Thursday according to Accuweather. Temperatures continue to be lower than usual for this time of year with highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s in the week ahead.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday declared a local state of emergency due to the recent storms and impending additional rain. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have also declared a state of emergency over the storms to speed the process of disaster relief.
City News Service contributed to this report
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