Feb 4, 2024; Pebble Beach, California, USA; A person walks on the beach below the course as waves crash and tents blow in the wind along the eighth fairway during the postponed final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego, California – Heavy storms that swept through San Diego County during Christmas week left behind a mix of towering surf and potentially hazardous water conditions along much of the coastline this weekend.
At Tourmaline Beach, where the surf of Pacific Beach and La Jolla converge, waves climbed as high as 10 feet on Saturday. The swell was fueled by an atmospheric river that brought days of rain earlier in the week, churning up the ocean and drawing surfers eager to test the conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a High Surf Advisory for much of the morning, warning of dangerous conditions and a high risk of life-threatening rip currents throughout the day.3
While the surf offered a dramatic show for spectators, health officials cautioned that the same storms also flushed pollutants into coastal waters. The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality issued a rain contamination advisory stretching from San Onofre south to Imperial Beach. The advisory includes Tourmaline Beach, the La Jolla Children’s Pool, Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay.
County officials recommend avoiding swimming, surfing, and diving for at least 72 hours after rainfall due to elevated bacteria levels caused by storm runoff.
Additional closures were ordered earlier in the week near the Tijuana Slough and a storm drain in South Mission Beach, temporarily shutting down popular shoreline areas. Some locations have since reopened, including stretches of Imperial Beach between Carnation and Cortez avenues and Crown Cove in Coronado after water quality tests improved.
However, advisories remain in place near the San Elijo Lagoon outlet in Cardiff, along the coastline from the U.S.-Mexico border through the Imperial Beach Pier, and at the La Jolla Children’s Pool, all flagged due to possible sewage contamination.
Health officials urge beachgoers to avoid contact with the water in affected areas, warning that exposure could lead to illness.
The Tijuana Slough, a 1,000-acre wildlife preserve established in 1980, is part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and remains especially vulnerable after heavy rain. The South Mission Beach storm drain sits just north of 2540 East Mission Bay Drive.
San Diego County residents looking for updates are encouraged to check sdbeachinfo.com or call the county’s 24-hour beach conditions hotline at 619-338-2073 for the latest advisories.
