Newport Beach lifeguards made 177 rescues Saturday as large waves and powerful rip currents hit the coast over Labor Day weekend.
Hurricane Marie is staying well offshore, but its swells are creating hazardous beach conditions across Southern California, with officials warning swimmers and beachgoers to take the ocean seriously even under sunny skies.
The Associated Press reported that waves reached as high as 10 feet in parts of the region and that life-threatening rip currents prompted warnings along the coast. Newport Beach lifeguards made 177 rescues on Saturday alone as the swell arrived.
What Local Beachgoers Should Know
The storm is not forecast to make landfall in California, but distant tropical systems can still produce dangerous surf hundreds of miles away. Officials have urged people to swim only near staffed lifeguard towers, avoid jetties and rocks, and stay out of the water if they are not experienced in strong surf.
Long Beach also issued a temporary swimming advisory after rain and storm runoff affected coastal water quality, while Seal Beach took precautionary steps around beachfront parking as high surf and flooding risks increased.
Newport Beach Monitoring Coastal Conditions
The City of Newport Beach had been monitoring the developing tropical system ahead of the Labor Day weekend. The city’s Labor Day Safety Enhancement Zone also remains in effect through Sept. 7, bringing increased enforcement and higher fines for certain municipal code violations in designated beach areas.
Why It Matters Locally
Warm holiday weather can make a distant hurricane feel irrelevant, but surf generated far offshore can create some of the most dangerous conditions of the summer. Families heading to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach or the Long Beach shoreline should check current lifeguard and weather guidance before entering the water.
