High surf advisories remain in some parts of California, as ocean conditions begin to calm
High surf advisories remain in some parts of California, as ocean conditions begin to calm
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer runs into the turbulent surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Giant waves break off the beach as shipping vessels remained moored along the coast of Southern California, seen from Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A child runs on the sand with her mother in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Very large waves pound the coast near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters.” (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer rides the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Ventura city workers close off an ocean walk where turbulent surf was hitting on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
People run on the edge of the flooded beach next to the pier in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Police, life guards and spectators stand atop a sand berm and watch as turbulent surf hits the California coast on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer rides a large wave as shipping boats remain moored along the coast of Southern California, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Seal Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Residents stand on sand berms and watch as turbulent surf pounds the coast near the Ventura Pier, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Ventura, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer swims in turbulent surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer rides a wave in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The National Weather Service warns that another round of extremely dangerous surf conditions would return Saturday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer goes under the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer lifts his hands up as he goes under the surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
People walk on the edge of the flooded beach in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer emerges under the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A Ventura city worker places a closed sign at a sea wall where rough surf breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Turbulent large waves break near the Ventura Pier, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer runs into the turbulent surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Giant waves break off the beach as shipping vessels remained moored along the coast of Southern California, seen from Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A child runs on the sand with her mother in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Very large waves pound the coast near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters.” (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Very large waves pound the coast near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters.” (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer rides the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Ventura city workers close off an ocean walk where turbulent surf was hitting on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Ventura city workers close off an ocean walk where turbulent surf was hitting on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
People run on the edge of the flooded beach next to the pier in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Police, life guards and spectators stand atop a sand berm and watch as turbulent surf hits the California coast on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Police, life guards and spectators stand atop a sand berm and watch as turbulent surf hits the California coast on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer rides a large wave as shipping boats remain moored along the coast of Southern California, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Seal Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Residents stand on sand berms and watch as turbulent surf pounds the coast near the Ventura Pier, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Ventura, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A surfer swims in turbulent surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer rides a wave in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The National Weather Service warns that another round of extremely dangerous surf conditions would return Saturday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer rides a wave in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The National Weather Service warns that another round of extremely dangerous surf conditions would return Saturday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer goes under the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer lifts his hands up as he goes under the surf in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
People walk on the edge of the flooded beach in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A surfer emerges under the waves in Seal Beach, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A Ventura city worker places a closed sign at a sea wall where rough surf breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A Ventura city worker places a closed sign at a sea wall where rough surf breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Bulldozers built giant sand berms to protect beachfront homes in Ventura, one of California’s coastal cities hit hard this week by extraordinary waves generated by powerful swells from Pacific storms. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A very large wave breaks near the Ventura pier on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere Thursday on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas.ave energy across coastal waters. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Turbulent large waves break near the Ventura Pier, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Turbulent large waves break near the Ventura Pier, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023 in Ventura, Calif. Similar waves overran beaches elsewhere on the California coast, flooding parking lots, streets and triggering evacuation warnings for low-lying areas. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Southern California’s Ventura County issued a temporary evacuation warning Saturday for some coastal residents due to high surf that pounded the West Coast this week but has begun to calm down.
County officials warned that powerful waves, expected to reach up to 20 feet (6 meters) high, were forecast near a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, and the fire department told people to avoid coastal areas. Authorities lifted the evacuation warning in the afternoon.
People who gathered in the morning at Pierpont Beach in the city of Ventura to gaze at the churning waters were warned not to go beyond the large sand berms that were put up Friday to protect waterfront homes, and officials closed some streets.
Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder called this week’s surf an “extraordinary event,” the likes of which he had not previously seen in his 14 years living in the city.
Fire department spokesperson Andy VanSciver said there were no reports Saturday of damage or injuries but the evacuation warning would remain in place until the waves recede. Earlier in the week, authorities rescued eight people who were injured by the surf.
Elsewhere along the California coast, flooding led to closures of some streets and bike paths. A high surf warning in the San Francisco Bay Area was downgraded to an advisory, with the National Weather Service saying wave heights had declined.
Some surfers took advantage of the waves in Seal Beach, a small city about 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of Los Angeles.
Miles Malohn, a 23-year-old from Irvine who has been surfing for about a decade, said it was one of the largest winter swells he has seen in years.
“It was pretty hectic out there for a few waves,” Malohn said. “You had to be really selective with which ones that you ride so that you don’t end up hurt or wiping out really bad.”
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Austin reported from Sacramento, and AP photographer Damian Dovarganes in Seal Beach, California, contributed. Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @sophieadanna