A hurricane off the coast of Baja California is causing flooding and water rescues in Southern California, particularly in Seal Beach where a dozen people were seen trying to push a vehicle out of floodwaters on Labor Day weekend. Los Angeles County lifeguards are expecting over 1,000 water rescues this holiday weekend, compared to the usual 500. The National Weather Service has warned of coastal flooding, dangerous rip currents, and large waves across Southern California due to Hurricane Marie. Crews have constructed a berm and are pumping seawater back out to sea in Seal Beach to prevent further flooding.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Hurricane Marie, a storm churning hundreds of miles away in the eastern Pacific, brought powerful swells and strong currents to Southern California's coastline over Labor Day weekend. The impacts were felt from Los Angeles County to Orange County, with flooding, water rescues, and efforts to protect homes along the shoreline. In Seal Beach, residents described waves as "crazy" - up to 10 feet high in some areas - with one resident saying he'd never seen anything like it in his 20+ years of living there. Crews responded by building a berm and pumping water back out to sea, while other beaches saw lifeguard rescues and hazardous conditions for swimmers and surfers.
Written for “Hurricane Marie Flooding” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 5780 · logged 2026-09-06
Hurricane Marie is impacting the Southern California coastline with powerful swells and dangerous rip currents triggering flooding, water rescues, and a frantic effort to keep ocean water away from homes.
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swells → impact → homes
The storm, churning in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Baja California, is not expected to make landfall in the Golden State — but it is already hitting beaches spanning Los Angeles County to Orange County.
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it → churn → County
Video obtained by ABC7 showed roughly a dozen people joining forces to push one overwhelmed vehicle out of the floodwaters.
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people → obtain → floodwaters
By nighttime, wet sand had spread across the boardwalk and flooding was still visible at homes along the shoreline.
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flooding → spread → shoreline
I’ve lived here for 20+ years, and usually we get like 1- to 2-foot waves.
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we → live → waves
But when we get the storm to come in here, it’s like, crazy.
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it → get → ?
We’re just not used to that,” Seal Beach resident Clifford Scarborough said.
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Scarborough → ’re → that
Crews responded by constructing a berm and pumping seawater back toward the ocean.
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Crews → respond → ocean
The 8th Street and 10th Street parking lots that were inundated are expected to remain closed through Wednesday.
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that → inundate → Wednesday
The dangerous conditions weren’t limited to Seal Beach.
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conditions → limit → Beach
In Manhattan Beach, a lifeguard rescue was caught on video as towering swells and powerful currents created hazardous conditions, despite Marie remaining hundreds of miles away.
“It’s extremely concerning — having children, you’re always on high alert,” Melissa Sann of Mid-Wilshire said.
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Sann → catch → Wilshire
Los Angeles County lifeguards are preparing for a particularly busy holiday weekend, with officials anticipating more than 1,000 water rescues.
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officials → prepare → rescues
“We’re expecting to see these elevated wave heights in the 3- to 5-foot range, with sets up to 6- to 8-feet up in some of our standout beaches up in Zuma Beach and Malibu,” Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard specialist Jake Miller told ABC7.
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Miller → expect → ABC7
Lifeguards are warning beachgoers to check conditions before entering the water and to recognize their own limits as the storm-generated swells continue to arrive.
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swells → warn → limits
The National Weather Service has warned that Marie’s effects could include coastal flooding, dangerous rip currents, beach erosion and large waves across Southern California.
“There is an increased risk for ocean drowning,” the NWS warned, saying rip currents could become “widespread and very strong” and potentially pull swimmers and surfers away from shore.
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currents → warn → shore
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Sign → sign → inbox
The agency also warned that large breaking waves could injure people, sweep beachgoers from rocks and beaches, and overturn small boats near shore.
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waves → warn → shore
Low-lying coastal areas could see seawater flooding around high tide, particularly vulnerable stretches including Avalon, Long Beach’s Alamitos Peninsula and the coastline from Oxnard to Malibu, including Point Mugu, according to the NWS.
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seawater → lie → NWS
The weather service has issued coastal flood, high surf and small craft advisories, along with a beach hazards statement, for parts of Southern California through Tuesday.
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service → issue → Tuesday
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center said Marie is expected to weaken steadily and become a post-tropical remnant low by Wednesday.
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Marie → say → Wednesday
But the storm’s swells are expected to continue affecting Southern California for several days, potentially creating life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions.
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swells → expect → surf
Back in Seal Beach, Scarborough said the weekend’s flooding was a stark reminder of the ocean’s power.
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flooding → say → power
“It just shows you how powerful it is.
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it → show → you
We have to respect nature,” he said.
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he → have → nature
