As a new storm moves toward Southern California this weekend, forecasters warn that the powerful waves that recently injured several people in Ventura and killed one person in Pismo Beach will continue to batter the coast.
A high surf advisory will go into effect starting at 2 a.m. Saturday for Ventura County, which is expected to see waves 7 to 10 feet high over the weekend, and the Central Coast, which will likely see waves 12 to 20-foot-high waves, according to the National Weather Service.
There is a slightly lower chance of high surf in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties Sunday through Monday morning.
Dangerous surf conditions have already taken their toll along the California coast.
Brindha Shunmuganathan, 39, of Georgia, was visiting California on Dec. 30 with her family when she and her two children were knocked over by a large wave, said Tony Cipolla, spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. . Emergency officials received a 911 call about the incident shortly after 9 a.m.
Relatives were able to pull the two children from the water, but Shunmuganathan was hit repeatedly by the waves, authorities said. Bystanders were eventually able to pull her out of the water and perform CPR, but they were unable to resuscitate her and he died at the scene. The official cause of death has not been revealed.
The National Weather Service had warned of extremely dangerous conditions on Central Coast beaches at the time, and the forecast called for waves of 15 to 20 feet, with some runs of 25 feet. Authorities warned the public to stay away from the water due to dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents.
On December 28, eight people in Ventura were injured when they were hit by a huge wave that swept over a boardwalk and flooded streets in the area. When the spectators saw the wave coming, they began to run, while the drivers of two trucks also tried to flee, but the water dragged several people and one of the vehicles away.
Several people were taken to the hospital and treated for moderate injuries, authorities said.
Further south, the Ocean Beach Pier in San Diego suffered storm damage due to high surf in the final weeks of December. Video footage shared on social media showed large waves smashing parts of the 57-year-old pier. A San Diego spokesperson told public media station KPBS that there are plans for a public meeting to replace the damaged pier, which has been closed since October due to high surf conditions.
Over the past five years, the city of San Diego has spent approximately $1.7 million to repair the pier and it has been closed about 30% of the time due to damage, the city said in a news release.
In San Mateo County, the Pacifica Pier will also be closed through the end of the month due to storm damage. A structural analysis will be conducted on the 50-year-old pier in the coming days and should reopen by Jan. 26, the Pacifica Public Works Department said in a news release.
In addition to high surf conditions, the new storm arriving in Southern California on Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning will bring cooler temperatures, cloudy skies and some rain. Temperatures on Saturday will range from highs around 60 degrees during the day to low and mid 40s overnight, with a 20% chance of rain.
Temperatures may reach freezing conditions Friday night and Saturday morning in the Ojai Valley in Ventura County and in Agoura Hills and Calabasas in Los Angeles County and in some parts of the Inland Empire. Additionally, a wind advisory will be in effect in and around Los Angeles County, starting at 7 p.m. Saturday and ending at 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.
“It will be cold and windy for the most part,” meteorologist David Gomberg of the National Weather Service in Oxnard said of the weekend forecast.
