Heavy surf pounds the Southern California coast, prompting warnings and shutting down piers

Some of the heaviest surf in years pounded the Southern California coast on Saturday, while high tides triggered warnings of flooding and closures of beaches and piers.

Waves as high as 20 feet were forecast in Ventura and Los Angeles, while larger swells were rolling in along the Central Coast and in Northern California. Officials warned that the powerful waves and strong currents could sweep people onto rocks and jetties and into the ocean.

“It is generating extremely dangerous conditions at beaches,” said Rose Schoenfeld, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“This is the highest surf we’ve had in the last year,” Schoenfeld said. “It’s definitely more like once every few years.”

The huge swells rolled in while rain swept across Southern California on Saturday.

An initial round of strong waves pummeled the Ventura coast on Thursday, sending onlookers scrambling as the waves swept past seaside barriers and barreled down city streets. At least eight people were injured and several businesses were damaged as the waves broke windows and flooded buildings.

Saturday brought a second peak of hazardous waves. Residents with homes along Pacific Coast Highway in part of Ventura County were under an evacuation warning “due to high surf impacting structures in the area,” the Ventura County Fire Department said in a post on social media.

All beaches and coastal parks in Ventura County were closed Friday and will remain closed over the New Year’s weekend, including the Ventura Pier, seaside campgrounds and harbor entries, officials said.

The surging water flooded some parking lots in the area. And piers were closed in places from Ventura to Manhattan Beach.

As powerful waves pummeled the shore, officials closed the Venice Pier on Saturday. Crowds gathered along the sand berm, watching the biggest sets scrape the bottom of the pier. Huge walls of waves broke across the beach as storm clouds gave way to sunny skies.

“Definitely some of the biggest in years,” Venice surfer Tim Sullivan said of the heavy swell.

The pier is a popular surf spot, but no one dared to venture out — except an L.A. County lifeguard. The lifeguard maneuvered a jet ski across the whitewater and rode some of the larger waves, apparently practicing his rescue skills.

Officials also warned people to be wary of “sneaker waves,” much like the one that caught Ventura beachgoers by surprise this week. The powerful waves are created by larger-than-average swells that can suddenly surge much farther inland than expected, breaking over rocks and lifting logs or driftwood onto the beach with deadly force.

The swells were generated by a low-pressure system to the north, west of Oregon, a few days ago. And the big surf combined with elevated high tides, which have been gradually decreasing after peaking Dec. 26, Schoenfeld said.

“It’s that combination of the really high surf with the fact that our tides are elevated in the lunar cycle right now,” Schoenfeld said. “We’ve gotten reports of pretty significant coastal flooding all up and down the coast.”

Warnings for heavy surf and coastal flooding were in effect throughout Southern California and the Central Coast. Forecasters said the highest surf and surges would hit west- and northwest-facing beaches, such as Hermosa Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

In Ventura and elsewhere, some surfers ventured into the giant waves, while lifeguards kept watch.

Near San Francisco, the waves grew to massive over the past few days. The National Weather Service said breaking waves were forecast to reach as high as 33 feet along some Bay Area beaches on Saturday.

In Half Moon Bay, at the renowned surf break known as Mavericks, spectators gathered along the bluffs to watch surfers ride the giant waves. Nearby, at the Old Princeton Landing restaurant and bar, employee Jon Dorn said surfers were continuing to paddle into waves on Saturday, though “it’s a little smaller than Thursday.”

Meanwhile, Saturday’s storm brought up to three-fourths inches of rain to Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while nearly 2 inches fell in Santa Barbara County, according to the weather service. Patchy showers were fading, while forecasters said mainly light rain is expected Sunday night into Monday.

In addition to the heavy surf, the rain also brought other potential hazards at beaches. L.A. County’s Department of Public Health advised people to avoid contact with water through Tuesday because flowing storm drains and creeks can lead to higher levels of bacteria and chemicals.

Times reporters Karen Garcia, Christian Martinez, Ashley Ahn and Nathan Solis contributed to this report.