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Coastal
communities in California faced another day of towering waves and possible
flooding on Saturday as officials issued evacuation orders in some areas and
warned residents to stay off beaches and coastal roadways.
The
National Weather Service in Los Angeles forecast significant flooding in
low-lying coastal areas with powerful waves and strong rip current posing an
“exceptional risk” of drowning and damage to structures like piers
and jetties.
Waves
as high as 6.1 metres could wreak more havoc on waterside homes in vulnerable
communities along much of the California shoreline, which was battered by
extreme surf and heavy rains over the end of the week.
Officials
in southern California’s Ventura County issued an evacuation warning on
Saturday for residences along the Pacific Coast Highway and area beaches
remained closed, the Ventura County Fire Department said.
In
the San Francisco Bay Area, forecasters said a coastal flood warning and high
surf warning would remain in effect into early Saturday afternoon. Breaking
waves of 8-9 metres were expected along west-facing beaches along the central
and northern California coastline, it said.
Ventura,
about 105km northwest of Los Angeles, was hit by the extreme weather conditions
beginning on Thursday, when heavy surf inundated homes and businesses with
seawater, sand and ocean debris, damaging structures and reportedly injuring at
least eight people.
The
treacherous surf and coastal flood threat was attributed to a Pacific storm
system that also brought heavy downpours to much of the West Coast on Friday
night, while coinciding with the latest arrival of exceptionally high tides
known as king tides.
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