Hurricane Marie to impact California coast with dangerous surf, coastal flooding over Labour Day weekend

Hurricane Marie is bringing powerful swells, dangerous rip currents, and coastal flooding to Southern California, with beaches from Los Angeles to Orange County experiencing hazardous conditions over the Labour Day weekend.While the hurricane is expected to remain well offshore and is not forecast to make landfall in California, its powerful swells have already caused flooding and prompted water rescues along the coast.The storm, which strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane over the eastern Pacific, is churning off the coast of Baja California.The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of large breaking waves, strong rip currents, beach erosion and coastal flooding across parts of Southern California through Tuesday.At Seal Beach on Saturday, seawater surged into parking lots near the pier, flooding low-lying areas and trapping vehicles, according to US media reports.Video obtained by ABC7 showed around a dozen people working together to push a vehicle out of the floodwaters.Crews later built a berm and pumped seawater back toward the ocean as wet sand spread across the boardwalk and flooding remained visible near some shoreline homes. The 8th Street and 10th Street parking lots were expected to remain closed through Wednesday.The hazardous surf also prompted a lifeguard rescue in Manhattan Beach, where large swells and strong currents created dangerous conditions despite Marie remaining hundreds of miles offshore.Los Angeles County lifeguards are preparing for a particularly busy holiday weekend, with officials expecting more than 1,000 water rescues. Typical daily rescues number around 500."We're expecting to see these elevated wave heights in the 3- to 5-foot range, with sets up to 6- to 8-feet" at some beaches, including Zuma Beach and Malibu, Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard specialist Jake Miller told ABC7.The NWS has warned of an increased risk of drowning, saying rip currents could become widespread and very strong. Large waves could also sweep people from rocks and beaches, injure beachgoers and overturn small boats close to shore.Low-lying coastal areas around Avalon, Long Beach's Alamitos Peninsula and the coastline from Oxnard to Malibu, including Point Mugu, are particularly vulnerable to seawater flooding around high tide, the NWS said.In San Diego County, forecasters have also warned of dangerous surf, with breaking waves potentially reaching 6 to 10 feet along parts of the coastline. High tides could worsen flooding in vulnerable coastal areas.Despite the storm's impact on coastal conditions, Marie is not expected to make landfall in California. The National Hurricane Center expects the system to weaken and become a post-tropical remnant low by Wednesday.However, its swells are expected to continue affecting Southern California beaches for several days, keeping the risk of dangerous surf and rip currents elevated.Authorities have requested beachgoers to check conditions before entering the water, avoid areas with strong currents and stay away from rocks and exposed coastal areas.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.