Seal Beach residents begin cleanup after high surf floods boardwalk, prepare for more water

SEAL BEACH, Calif. () — Cleanup crews and residents worked all day Monday to clear debris and prepare for additional flooding after high surf breached sand berms and sent ocean water onto the boardwalk in Seal Beach over the weekend.

Some neighbors were knee-deep in water in their own garages.

A street cleaner made a final pass as residents prepared for another round of potential flooding predicted to begin during high surf on Monday evening.

“If the surf is just as high and the tides are going to be higher, and so, we do the math, and it’s probably going to come over the berm again,” Seal Beach resident Jon Cockrill said.

Cockrill has lived behind the strand for 33 years and has sandbags and boards in place to protect his property.

“I have boards that are protecting my garage, and then I sandbag in front of the boards, so hopefully that will be enough,” Cockrill said.

Despite warnings, the beach and pier have been filled with people drawn to the big waves.

Over the weekend, ocean water breached the sand berms and flooded the boardwalk, leaving enough water for brothers Levi and Jack Krueger to kayak and use skimboards.

“They ended up being able to kayak down the boardwalk because there was enough water here that allowed them to kind of have a little bit of fun,” Nick Krueger said.

“We grabbed our skimboards, and we were just sliding around on the water,” Jack said.

Seal Beach Public Works crews worked through the night, pumping out water as they tried to stay ahead of the surf and heavy rain. On Monday, additional cleanup teams cleared clogged storm drains and removed debris.

“A lot of trash came in,” Allie Brooks said. “And there is a ton. That is the only sucky thing for down here.”

Krueger said his sons hoped to make another kayak trip down the boardwalk, but he planned to keep them away from the waves because of the tropical storm offshore.

“The surf… we’re not going into the water. It’s just too much for us. We’re not trying to get into the water for that,” Krueger said.

Despite the flooding and cleanup, residents said the risk comes with living near the beach.

“It’s one of the gambles we take, but it’s worth it… but tomorrow it might be a different story. Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell you it’s not,” Cockrill said.

Meanwhile at The Wedge in Newport Beach, surfers gathered to take advantage of the massive waves.

The National Weather Service forecasted large, breaking waves between four and seven feet tall, with sets up to 10 feet.

Lifeguards in the area warned beachgoers that the conditions were for advanced swimmers only.

Spectators watched from the shore on Monday as surfers and bodyboarders braved the tough conditions.

A Newport Fire Department official said lifeguards made over 185 ocean rescues over the weekend, with nearly 7,500 preventive actions taken by lifeguards.

A Coastal Flood Advisory and a High Surf Advisory remain in place until 11 p.m. Tuesday.