More rain fell across parts of the Southland Tuesday, accompanied by thunder and lightning in some areas, as lingering moisture from former Hurricane Marie brought another round of unsettled weather ahead of a heat wave.
Several beachfront homes were damaged by the storm’s high surf, including in Long Beach, Dana Point and Malibu.
Rain was reported in areas including Burbank, Arcadia, Glendora, LAX and Manhattan Beach on Tuesday morning, while thunderstorms produced lightning across portions of Los Angeles County.
The lightning prompted Los Angeles County lifeguards to temporarily close beaches from Cabrillo Beach to Zuma Beach on Tuesday morning. Lifeguards advised people near the beaches to seek shelter in a safe location away from the beach until the closures were lifted and warned people not to enter the water when lightning is present.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement shortly before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for a strong thunderstorm moving north through central Los Angeles County. Doppler radar tracked the storm near Whittier at 9:20 a.m., moving north at about 15 mph.
Forecasters warned of frequent lightning, pea-size hail and torrential rainfall that could cause localized flooding.
Another thunderstorm warning was issued for extreme northwestern LA County, including the I-5 Corridor, through 3:30 p.m.
A high surf advisory and coastal flood advisory were in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday for portions of the Los Angeles County coast, while a coastal flood advisory was extended to 11 p.m. Wednesday for Orange County.
Former Hurricane Marie remained well offshore but sent considerable moisture toward the area Sunday, with flooding reported in parking lots in Seal Beach and Zuma Beach, and “flowing into homes and streets” in Long Beach, according to the NWS.
The Long Beach Fire Department reported Monday night that approximately 20 homes were evacuated along Seaside Walk, from 63rd to 67th Place, due to the seawall compromise and damage to the boardwalk.
There were also reports of damaged and cracked concrete in between several of the homes.
“These evacuation orders are being issued out of an abundance of caution while the Building Department evaluates the structural integrity and condition of these homes,” the department said.
The Long Beach Health Department was offering assistance to those being displaced.
Stormy conditions also caused the closure of the Junipero Beach parking lot access roads to the Long Beach Peninsula, except for residents.
In south Orange County’s Dana Point, about a dozen high-priced homes were red-tagged as uninhabitable after damage from the high waves.
In Malibu, pounding surf undermined the driveway of a beachfront home reportedly owned by actor Nicolas Cage on Tuesday, and also caused a gas main rupture. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews responded at about 5:45 a.m. to the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive East, near Point Lechuza.
The Southern California Gas Company was summoned to shut off the gas, according to a fire department spokesman. Officials said the home was not occupied at the time.
The city of Malibu later declared a local emergency and ordered evacuations for affected properties near Sea Level Drive because of an expanding sinkhole that was restricting access for residents and emergency crews. A temporary shelter was being established at Malibu High School.
Large breaking waves of 6 to 10 feet occurred at south- and southwest-facing beaches, with waves of 4 to 7 feet at west-facing beaches, along with strong and dangerous rip and longshore currents.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also extended an ocean water quality rain advisory for all county beaches until at least noon Thursday because of rainfall. Beach users were advised to avoid all water contact, particularly near storm drains, creeks and rivers, where runoff can carry elevated levels of bacteria and other contaminants.
Officials had already urged inexperienced swimmers to stay out of the water because of dangerous rip currents.
The wet weather comes as the region braced for a blast of extreme heat, with the NWS upgrading its warnings Tuesday for much of Los Angeles County. A heat advisory will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Wednesday, when an extreme heat warning will take effect and continue until 8 p.m. Thursday.
Temperatures ranging from 92 to 108 degrees are expected in areas covered by the warnings, including downtown Los Angeles, the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, the Malibu coast, Los Angeles County beaches, the Palos Verdes Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains.
An extreme heat warning will also be in effect from 8 a.m. Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday for Catalina Island, where temperatures could range from 88 to 100 degrees. Forecasters said humid conditions will add to the discomfort, with the heat expected to peak Wednesday in most areas.
“With plenty of Marie moisture over the area, there will be threat of showers and thunderstorms for most areas through this afternoon,” the NWS said. “The second concern will be the beginning of the heat. Weak offshore pressure gradients this morning will limit the sea breeze effect and allow temperatures to climb today. The heat generated by this will be exacerbated by the increased humidity due to Marie moisture. So, today will feel quite uncomfortable across the area.”
Overnight lows will offer little relief, remaining in the 70s and even the upper 70s Tuesday and Wednesday night.