Sand berms are being built, sand bags filled and pumps readied to suck up sea water – but will it be enough to protect against nature’s force?

Along with wild winds and heavy rains as remnants of Hurricane Kay roar into Southern California and deliver big waves, high tides in the late mornings and even higher in the evenings will make for a combination that could spell trouble for Southern California’s vulnerable coastline.

Big swells from the hurricane could make for waves up to 8 feet tall by Saturday, a bump in the ocean’s force that will merge with high tides and could send sea water rushing up stretches of beach, chomping away at the sand to further shrink already eroded coastlines, and even flood into streets and homes.

National Weather Service meteorologist Liz Schenk said a beach hazard statement has been issued through Sunday afternoon, with surf ranging from 3- to 6-feet tall, with sets upward of 8 feet.

High tides are expected to be at 6.5 feet just after 9 p.m. on Friday night. And with any rain, there could be pockets of flooding, especially in low-lying areas, Schenk said. Late morning hours will also see high tides, slightly lower at 5.4 feet Saturday at 10 a.m., but still potentially hazardous when combining with big swells.

High water levels stretched across Seal Beach’s sand on Thursday, bringing Fire Department crews out to build a berm, said Seal Beach Marine Safety Chief Joe Bailey.

Videos online showed the ocean stretching over the sand and reaching the boardwalk, also nearing a beach café under construction near the San Gabriel river.

“We are next to a river, there’s an ocean in front of us, but now we have a lake,” The Beach House co-owner Brian Kyle said of the to extreme high tides that encroached on their construction site and came within a few feet of very heavy, expensive equipment yet to be moved inside.

Nearby in Long Beach, lifeguards were busy through the afternoon filling sandbags for residents and berms were built up to protect buildings and infrastructure.

Alexis Saldaña, employee of Propel Bike Shop, took the initiative to fill sandbags as a precaution. Saldaña said she worries the area could see a California year’s worth of rain in one night.

“The shop has flooded in the past and since the owner lives out of state we thought it smart to be prepared for the coming rain,” she said.

Jon Cockrill, who has lived on the beach for 30 years in Seal Beach, has seen his share of big swells that have flooded the beach and boardwalk. As a surfer, he could tell the hurricane swell was building and said he started calling City Hall and the Police Department Thursday morning to warn they should start building the berm sooner.

He remembered what happened in 2014 when Hurricane Marie hit, catching the city off guard and flooding the beach before berms could be formed to protect the homes. So when Cockrill saw the sea water inching closer up the sand by the evening, even hours before high tide, he decided to call officials.

“I was begging them to get a tractor out there,” he said, noting Long Beach had already started preparing with berm building a day earlier.

While Seal Beach typically gets big waves from winter northwest swells, hurricane surf can be more unpredictable and at a different angle, sending bigger waves during the typical smaller surf season.

Water came up on the sand in Seal Beach on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022 when larger-than-expected and high tide slammed the area. (Photo by Jeff Collins/SCNG)

Bailey said the surf was larger than expected Thursday night, which was forecast to be 4- to 7-feet tall. It’s unclear, he said, if that big surf arrived a day and a half early or if the swells are going to continue to build.

“Our concern is the surf will continue to build this evening,” Bailey said Friday morning. “The forecast is for the biggest surf on Saturday.”

“If it’s going to continue to build, we’re going to need this berm,” Bailey said. “If it arrived early, we should be fine. It’s just a wait-and-see game at this point.”

The city also sent out an alert to residents that sand bags are available at the 8th Place parking lot and the city yard for people who want to fill them up to protect their homes. Pumps were put in place to suck out water if it rushes onto the boardwalk or near homes, he said.

Crews will be on hand when high tide is expected to hit – Friday night is expected to be 6.5 feet around 9 p.m. – to keep an eye on potential flooding.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Captain AJ Lester said the swell direction is coming from the south-east and surf should be smaller in the South Bay area, closer to the 4-to-6 foot range, though areas such as Venice and Zuma could see large surf.

“For us, it’s a standard beach day,” he said. “There will be elevated surf and increased chances of rip currents. We will encourage people to check in with lifeguards before they go to the beach. For us, it’s the same as a normal swell.”

What’s not normal is the chance for thunderstorms. A few years ago, a beachgoer in Venice was killed during a summer lightning storm.

“If we see lightning or hear thunder anywhere around LA County beaches, we’re going to clear LA County beaches,” he said, noting they are in constant contact with the National Weather Service. “We’ll potentially clear the beach as it’s moving up the coast.”

Also, the rain may blow out storm drains that could send runoff to the beach – typically an issue during winter when beach crowds are thinner. But with 90-degree weather, those heading to the beach in coming days should be aware of possible water quality issues, he said.

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In Newport Beach, particularly at Balboa Peninsula where flooding occurred last July, crews have been busy this week building sand berms in preparation for the storm, city spokesman John Pope said.

“Crews will be out to monitor and pump as necessary,” he said.

At Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, officials have already been working to address severe erosion – 2018 winter storms decimated the beach and big south swells in recent weeks already chomped away further at the small remaining stretch of coast between Doheny State Beach and San Clemente.

Workers were on hand Friday trying to clear a clogged storm drain that spits out to the beach before the storm so it didn’t overflow.

Toni Nelson, creator of the community group Capo Cares that has been working with the county on plans to repair the area, worried about their quaint scratch of beach that has taken bad beatings in recent years. The county has been doing what it can to repair, she said, but each time a big swell comes, they have to start all over again.

“It’s going to be bad. I’m worried about serious property damage,” she said, watching as the sea crashed on the sea wall. “They keep putting all these sand bags and it’s not working.”

County officials have closed parts of the parking lot at both Capo Beach and Aliso Beach in South Laguna Beach, which also in recent years has had trouble with the ocean rushing in during big surf and high tide events, said OC Parks spokeswoman Marisa O’Neil. Some stretches of beach and lots may have to stay closed through the weekend.

Significant rain may close trails at county wilderness and regional parks, she added.

Brittany Murray and Roxana Kopetman contributed to this report