The last week of 2023 left San Diego County beaches looking a bit different in 2024. Damage from high surf and storms can be seen from Imperial Beach to Del Mar.
In Pacific Beach, Crystal Pier remained closed much of the day on Monday, while in La Jolla, catwalk atop the seawall protecting the Children’s Pool was closed because several sections of the metal safety railing disappeared in the waves. Meanwhile, visitors to Del Mar sat on a berm of beach sand. The rest washed away last week. To the south, Ocean Beach Pier lost a piling and several railings to the ocean.
King Tides Roll Through San Diego
“It was like, 'Wow,!' ” exclaimed Maurice Groves in Imperial Beach.
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Groves couldn’t wait for the sun to return. He wanted to be at the beach on New Year’s Day.
“It’s the sound,” Groves said. “You can really hear the power and the majesty of the beach.”
That majesty also created a mess. A “flooded” sign still marked where the ocean pushed hundreds of cubic feet of beach sand on the street.
“It’s been a little bit tricky," Groves said. "Puddles develop in places where they don’t usually develop at."
The waves were so powerful at one point, they tossed an eight-foot log onto the rocks protecting the homes from the ocean.
“I am very respectful of the power of the ocean,” said a smiling Groves.
Further north in Mission Beach, Bre Golden sat on a mound of sand.
“Sun coming out today after a week of clouds and big, big surf,” Golden said.
“You can’t contain it," Golden lamented. "It does its own thing. It’s wild with power.”
“It seems like there’s a lot less area for us to walk on that the ocean isn’t touching,” Groves said.
“I think it’s going to take a little bit to kind of even out,” added Golden.
