Coastal Flood and High Surf Advisories Cover County Beaches Through Monday Night

A coastal flood advisory remains in effect for Santa Barbara County beaches until 10 p.m. Monday, and a high surf advisory holds until 10 p.m. Monday for the county's Central Coast beaches, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard said Sunday evening.

For the Central Coast beaches zone, which includes Lompoc and Vandenberg Space Force Base, the service’s coastal hazard message issued at 9:02 p.m. Sunday says “large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet is expected with dangerous rip currents.” “Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore.”

Warren LeMay, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The coastal flood advisory also covers the county's Southwestern Coast, including El Capitan State Beach, Gaviota, Jalama Beach and Refugio State Beach, and the Southeastern Coast, including Carpinteria, Goleta, Montecito and Santa Barbara. Minor to moderate flooding of seawater is likely around high tide at beach and harbor areas, the service said, with high tides peaking around 7.1 to 7.3 feet Monday and Tuesday mornings. A beach hazards statement for the south-facing coasts runs through Tuesday afternoon.

The service advises residents to stay out of the water because of the dangerous surf, stay near occupied lifeguard towers if they go to the beach, stay off rock jetties, and never drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

The rough conditions arrive as the remnants of former Hurricane Rachel push through Southern California. Rachel, downgraded to a tropical storm, brought heavy rain and high surf to the region over the weekend, the first tropical system to threaten the Southern California coast in decades.

Thomas Camargo, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)