[Image of flooding, Credit to unsplash]

For three consecutive days from December 28th to 30th, strong waves and coastal flooding hit California wreaking and destroying its coastal communities.

The unusually large surf, often towering over 20 feet, resulted in destructive inundations affecting several beachside streets, homes, and businesses.

Waves crushed over seawalls, carrying parked cars, even in the Ventura region.

Colin Hoang, an onlooker who captured a video of people escaping as the soaring wave crashes over the barrier, depicted the situation as “terrifying and apocalyptic.”

He added, “People were yelling and screaming. I ran as fast as I could.”

On the first day of intensive ways on Thursday, nearly 20 people were swept away, colliding with a coastal barricade surrounded by spectators in Ventura Beach’s Pierpont area.

Eight people were injured, and they were taken to the hospital.

Moreover, one evening that day, Ventura Country firefighters rescued a fisherman who fell overboard into the cold water in Oxnard Harbor.

Fortunately, the fisherman was safely taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.

Similar to the aforementioned incidents, there were multiple incidents that first responders had to attend to along the coastline, but none of the reported injuries were life-threatening.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the perilous maritime conditions and risk of coastal inundation were caused by a Pacific story system, led to heavy rainfalls on the West Coast on Friday night, along the exceptionally high tides known as king tides.

The NWS also mentioned that high surf will decrease a little on Friday but will increase again on Saturday as powerful Pacific cyclones continue to send massive swells toward the West Coast, renewing coastal flooding threats.

This forecast anticipates highly hazardous conditions, with formidable waves and life-threatening rip currents presenting an extraordinary threat of ocean drowning and harm to coastal infrastructures, including piers and jetties.

Some waves colliding with California’s Bay Area may peak at 40 feet, which is about the size of a telephone pole, and others might hit 28 to 33 feet.

The lasting massive waves prohibited access to many beaches and left significant debris.

In the scenic State Highway 1, South of San Francisco, the debris from the coastal flooding deposited on streets was so heavy that road crews used plows to clear the place.

Other stretches of the road were too buried to clear.

Despite this dangerous situation, the spectacular surf has enthralled curious onlookers and excited surfers.

Local officials are urging people to stay out of the water and away from the beaches due to potentially life-threatening conditions.

Regarding this event in California, the NWS assessed, “Overall, this is expected to be an exceptional high-surf and coastal flooding event that has not occurred in many years.”

Karris Kutivan, a nine-year Ventura resident, remarked, “We have had water down the lane once before but never like this,” to the Associated Press.

Furthermore, the National Weather Service also cautioned that Beaches, piers, and vulnerable harbors should NOT be considered safe, highlighting additional safety problems for the event.