Lightning Strikes Huntington Beach

A lighting strike near Sunset Beach prompted Huntington Beach lifeguards to clear everyone out of the water today, and officials at other beaches were monitoring the weather and considering similar actions.

The Huntington Beach lifeguards called for the evacuation of the ocean when the lightning bolt was seen at 3:51 p.m. about two miles inland from Sunset Beach, according to Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis.

Seal Beach lifeguards said they were closely monitoring the weather and will get everyone out of the water if any lighting strikes are seen.

The National Weather Service was reporting winds of 20 to 40 mph and more lightning in Santa Ana at the time, Panis said.

“We’re being proactive,” Panis said.

In Newport Beach, lifeguards had been considering an evacuation, but a downpour of rain did their job for them, said Lifeguard Battalion Chief Mike Halphide.

“Over the last half-hour the crowd cleared out,” Halphide said around 4:30 p.m.

Dangerous riptides and wave sets as high as 6 to 8 feet were expected on Thursday between 18th and 19th streets as a result of Tropical Storm Linda, Halphide said.

City News Service