Newport Beach lifeguards pulled 177 people from the water on Sunday, Sept. 6, as Hurricane Marie's swell drove dangerous surf and rip currents into local beaches.

Adam Yacenda, lifeguard battalion chief for the Newport Beach Fire Department, told the Associated Press the number was significant even in a summer that has produced higher-than-normal waves. "Any time you're approaching over 100, that's a busy day," Yacenda said.

For comparison, lifeguards made about 100 rescues during a separate high surf event on July 20, a day Chief Lifeguard Brian O'Rourke described to KTLA as "very busy."

Yacenda said the entire Newport Beach coastline was under red-flag conditions, with strong currents running along the shore and out to sea. He warned that only expert surfers should enter the water.

Hurricane Marie remained hundreds of miles off California's Pacific coast but generated surf up to 10 feet on south-facing beaches, according to Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Schoenfeld called the conditions "life-threatening" and said lifeguards were reporting especially dangerous rip currents.

The storm was not expected to make landfall. The National Hurricane Center warned that hazardous beach conditions would persist for another couple of days.

A high surf advisory and coastal flood advisory remained in effect for the Newport Beach coast through 11 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. The storm also brought the potential for coastal flooding along beaches, bike paths, roads and some low-lying neighborhoods. High tides were expected to exceed 7 feet by Monday, Sept. 7, according to a National Weather Service forecast.

Parts of Southern California had already received as much as a quarter inch of rain by Sunday morning. Runoff-related pollution was also flagged as an ongoing hazard alongside the surf dangers.

Ahead of the weekend, the city issued an advisory urging beachgoers to swim near open lifeguard towers and follow posted warnings. Free prefilled sandbags were available at the city's Corporation Yard at 592 Superior Ave., with empty sandbags at Newport Beach fire stations.

The National Weather Service advised the public to stay off rock jetties while conditions persist.