If you walk into Hamel's Surf Shop in Mission Beach, you will most likely be greeted with a smile by Skyler McManus.
But behind that smile is a storm. He says the store is a sitting duck for El Niño, and they've had flooding before.
"It's probably been at least ankle deep," McManus said.
Hamel's sits just a few hundred feet away from the fierce waves. A high surf advisory is in effect for all San Diego County beaches, with some waves reaching more than 15 feet high.
McManus says he has seen those waves hit the sea wall and shoot into the air and onto the store.
"Pretty concerned," he said. "Because they could rush up, you know, at any moment and hit the side of the building."
He has dozens of sandbags standing by and he's trying to go on with business as usual, while keeping a weather eye on the waves right outside his front door.
“It could literally come up and just hit the building and shoot up. It could go through the door, you never know,” he said.
