LA JOLLA, Calif. (KGTV) -- San Diego Fire-Rescue lifeguard crews had their work cut out for them on Thursday morning, cleaning up and keeping people out of danger following active overnight weather conditions.
Crews were shoveling up what the waves rolled in, trying to mitigate major flooding in a La Jolla Shores parking lot and all along the boardwalk.
Lt. Lonnie Stephens with SDFD Marine Safety explained, "There's a storm drain that runs under the sidewalk under the boardwalk into the sand, so the lifeguards are shoveling in front of the storm drain so the water can recede out into the ocean. Once the storm drain is clear underneath the boardwalk, water will slowly start to make its way take a path back out into the ocean."
While lifeguard crews were mitigating the flooding, San Diego Parks and Recreation said its working with city’s Transportation and the Stormwater departments on preparing for the coming king tides.
The three departments are starting to create berms along the beaches to prevent damage and flooding in low-lying areas and will have to do so each day to continue draining the storm waters.
Surfers like Anh Pham waited anxiously all Thursday morning to get into the waters, but never made it because of how choppy the waters were.
"I'm not going in because it's dangerous or big, it's mainly because of the wind," Pham said. "The wind will mess up the face of the water, and mess up the shape of the wave, and it doesn't make it worth it going out there."
SDFD crews shut the La Jolla Shores parking lot down Thursday morning and said it will be indefinite until the water levels are down. It also sent crews out to the boat launch and Avenida de la Playa to control flooding.
