Two tropical storm systems churning in the Pacific are hammering Newport Beach with life-threatening surf, prompting lifeguards to pull roughly 100 swimmers from dangerous rip currents on Monday, July 20, alone. The National Weather Service says conditions will remain hazardous through the weekend of Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, according to a Patch AM newsletter published Wednesday, July 23, citing ongoing "nonstop" rescues throughout the week.
"Our lifeguards were very busy. They were rescuing a lot of people," Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Lifeguard Brian O'Rourke told KTLA on Monday, July 20, after the initial surge.
The hazard has outlasted early forecasts. NWS meteorologist Sebastian Westerink told the Los Angeles Times on July 20 that waves at south-facing Orange County beaches were already running 4 to 6 feet, with sets reaching 8 feet. He predicted Elida's swell would subside by Tuesday but warned that Fausto could generate "another set of elevated swell at our beaches later this week into the weekend." The NWS warning now extends through the weekend, covering Fausto's expected contribution.
Elida took an unusual northward track before losing tropical storm status the morning of Monday, July 20, but its remnants continued driving hazardous surf into the coast, the LA Times reported. Hurricane Fausto, which reached 75-mph sustained winds Monday night about 745 miles southwest of Baja California's southern tip, poses no direct landfall threat but is sending ocean swells capable of producing life-threatening conditions along the Southern California coastline, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Newport Beach's famous break at the Wedge amplifies south swells because waves refract off the harbor entrance jetty and stack together, sometimes doubling in size. No confirmed wave heights at the Wedge have been reported for the current swell.
Heat wave doubles the danger
A concurrent heat wave peaking Friday, July 25, with temperatures 8 to 12 degrees above normal, will push inland residents toward the coast, where lifeguards are calling conditions life-threatening. A NWS heat advisory remains in effect through 8 a.m. Monday, July 27, the LA Times reported Wednesday, July 22.
Newport's lifeguard force
Newport Beach's 224-person lifeguard operation, led by O'Rourke, staffs 96 guards across towers, truck patrols, and rescue boats on any given day, according to the Newport Beach Independent. During high-surf days, rescues range from 50 to 300 in a single day, fire department spokesperson David Gibson told the publication in early July.
For comparison, the tropical storms Emilia and Fabio swell in August 2024 produced 241 rescues over three days, according to city lifeguard records. The current event hit that mark on its first day.
The NWS and Newport Beach lifeguards are urging swimmers and beachgoers to stay out of the water through the weekend. The beach hazard advisory covers both west-facing and south-facing beaches, with high risk of rip currents and strong longshore currents expected.
