Surfside Braces for Storm, Banks on Barrier

SEAL BEACH —  The oceanfront community of Surfside is bracing for another winter attack today and Saturday, with a mild storm and winds forecast along with 7-foot high tides both days.

So far this winter, a makeshift barrier of sandbags, a sand berm and a 250-foot-long rock wall have protected the thinning slice of beach that keeps the ocean away from homes.

“It looks pretty good out there,” said Steve Badum, Seal Beach’s public works director, who checked the barrier Thursday. “A little water is probably going to come over the top [of the barrier], but it won’t be bad.”

The barrier was erected in a last-minute effort in December, after a crucial sand replenishment fell through because of federal budget cuts. Only a 15- to 30-foot stretch of beach stands between Surfside’s 260 homes and the ocean.

Last month, the barrier withstood two 7.1-foot high tides. But a combination of high tides and storm-churned waves pushed by winds would give the barrier another critical test.

Today, a light rain is expected to fall until late afternoon, said Rob Kaczmarek, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides weather information for The Times. Winds from the west could gust up to 25 mph, he said.

The mild storm should move out by Saturday, which “looks like a nice day--dry weather and kind of breezy conditions,” Kaczmarek said. “That’s probably the best day of the weekend.” Temperatures could reach a high of nearly 70 degrees, he said.

Another storm is forecast Sunday, when Surfside will brace for a 6.8-foot high tide. Sunday’s storm “could be possibly one of the wetter storms we’ve had in a while,” Kaczmarek said.

Surfside residents, who have dodged other bullets from Mother Nature, are wary but not panicked, said Gino Salegui, a 26-year resident.

“With the [barrier] in place, everyone gets lulled into a sense of security,” he said. “Everyone is mentally ready, knowing what’s going to occur . . . with a high tide.”