By Mary O’KEEFE

If we ever needed a reminder about how powerful Mother Nature is these past few days have been our warning. 

Lifeguards up and down the coast of California have been working hard to watch, warn and save many lives during a recent increase in high waves along our coast. There have been reports about surfers, and swimmers, who had to be rescued at The Wedge in Newport Beach that saw waves over 20 feet. 

Amid the tragic news of deaths was that of a 5-year-old girl who on June 12 was swept away in Laguna Beach while she was walking with her brother and mother along the shore of Treasure Island Beach in Orange County. Bystanders said the wave just engulfed them. Good Samaritans were able to rescue the mother and her son but the daughter was swept away. Rescuers were able to find her body a day later just off Christmas Cove. 

On June 9, two women who were reportedly napping on a beach in Santa Cruz County were pulled into the sea by a tide. Both women were rescued; one was listed in critical condition, the other unfortunately did not survive. 

According to reports, the two woman were napping on the beach; however, authorities are not sure at this point if that is true. The place where the women were had warnings about the area, which is known as “keyhole,” near Panther Beach. On June 9, the National Weather Service advised people in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County to stay back from the beach and away from jetties, piers, beachside rocks and other infrastructure near the water.

I have seen rogue waves in the past and they do happen fast. We were in Coronado when one wave, which the locals called a “Baja Wave,” just came out of nowhere. My son and husband were surfing and they were smashed into the rocks. My middle daughter and I moved away quickly but my little one, at the time was on a boogie board. I remember seeing the wave take her up and her little feet kept kicking. I never felt more helpless – but she rode the wave like a pro and it deposited her, boogie board tip down, into the sand. She still had a tight grip on it. She is now the mermaid of the family due I think in part because my husband made all the kids go right back into the ocean to make sure they weren’t afraid – though they had a   newfound respect for the sea. I, on the other hand, stayed on the beach and prayed. 

The term “king tide” has been used to explain the effects of high waves. A king tide is not actually a scientific term; however, it is used a lot in regard to the long-period that waves “roll around the planet as the ocean is ‘pulled’ back and forth by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun as these bodies interact with the Earth in their monthly and yearly orbits. Higher than normal tides typically occur during a new or full moon and when the Moon is at its perigee, or during specific seasons around the country,” according to NOAA’s Ocean Service. 

The cause of the most recent high tides was South Pacific swells, according to NOAA. These large waves have been slamming into California, Hawaii and Tahiti due to these swells. The high waves are on their way to leveling out and returning to the California waves we all are used to; however, according to NOAA, the summer will bring more storms so this may not be the last of the high waves for the season.

And of course we are still looking at a fairly strong El Niño. A June 15 satellite image from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows a “vast pulse of warm water reaching the coast of South America, signaling that El Niño is likely developing. The warm water is being carried eastward by massive ocean waves known as Kelvin waves, which also cause sea levels to rise. El Niño can reshape weather patterns worldwide, bringing floods, droughts and temperature extremes.”

So first of all, we love going to the beach – but let’s be sea smart. Make sure to check if there are any high wave warnings from NOAA, look at local conditions that are posted on the beach, respect lifeguards and learn about riptides. 

And while politicians debate about the climate, people can argue about what is and is not affecting the Earth, though in the long run the Earth has the last word whether it is through high waves that come out of nowhere or droughts that bring wildfires. We need to respect this planet we call home and learn more about how we can protect it. 

Although our waves are returning to normal NOAA still reports hazardous weather conditions through today [as of press time on Wednesday]. The beach hazard will remain in effect through late tonight though a coastal flood advisory expired. There are continued warnings of dangerous “rip currents and breaking waves due to elevated surf.” The warnings are for all LA County beaches. 

“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore,” according to NOAA.

For our area we will be seeing a slight cooling trend through Sunday bringing temperatures from the high 80s to the mid 70s. On Monday, our temperatures will start rising again into the low-to-high 80s. There is no rain or substantial winds in the forecast, according to NOAA.