Ford Foundation has awarded her coverage of National Defense. She's a three-time award winner from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for telling stories of Marines in local communities. While adept at reporting hard news, she's known for telling human stories of conflict, struggle and joy. Erika has a comprehensive understanding of issues affecting South Orange County communities, including coastal access and the environment, the plight of marine mammal entanglements, water quality, development, local harbors and quality of life in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente. She's reported from Navy ships, Osprey aircraft and training ranges throughout Southern California, explaining national and international warfare tactics and military equipment. She covers military and national defense from West Coast bases to the Pentagon. Related ArticlesĮrika Ritchie is an award-winning staff writer for the Orange County Register and 10 other Southern California News Group newspapers. Especially in the next few days, as the surf declines, the water may appear more welcoming, but the threat of rip currents will be greater – especially along the South Bay beaches where the sea floor has gotten carved up more from all the turbulence and wave action. Lifeguards caution that though the waves might look tempting for surfers, those who go out A lifeguard tower at Oak Street Beach tilts precariously toward the surf zone after getting pummeled by high waves and tides. In Capistrano Beach, the parking lot was also closed most of Friday, but reopened by the end of the day. Officials expected work to continue Saturday. The west side of the lot remained closed while crews continue to clear debris. In Laguna Beach, high waves tore down parts of a sea wall at a home in North Laguna, flooded the coastal side of Coast Highway and Broadway, damaged the foundation of a lifeguard tower at Oak Street leaving it tilting toward the surf zone and tore off railing and staircase steps at Woods and Moss beaches.Īliso Beach’s parking lot was temporarily shut Friday after flooding, but its east side was opened later in the day. “We’ve lost so much in a short timeframe.” “We’ve had considerable erosion,” Barnes said of the waves that ate at the sand. Surf off Manhattan Beach at El Porto hit as high as 18 feet, though other areas of county shore were more manageable. OCFA heavy equipment crews were also busy Friday digging and draining water from the north side of the pier to prevent seawater from entering any structures and homes. No timeline for reopening was given.Ĭrews from the Orange County Fire Authority and Seal Beach Public Work’s Department built sand berms to reinforce the beach. Part of the boat ramp used by oil platform workers was damaged. In Seal Beach, high surf and wind pummeled the pier, and officials decided to “temporarily close it in an abundance of caution” and to allow for inspection, the city announced Friday. It arrived Thursday along with the rainstorm and was expected to last through Friday, coinciding with a period of high tides. The piers at Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Venice Beach were closed in an “abundance of caution” because of the strong west-northwest swell, which crashed surf over the top of the structures. “The parking lot is built on the rocks of the breakwater and the pressure caused the asphalt to break apart like it was an earthquake.” Lester, a spokesman for Los Angeles County’s Fire and Lifeguard Division. “There were 15-foot-plus waves breaking directly onto the rocks at Redondo Harbor,” said Lifeguard Capt. In King Harbor, massive waves overwhelmed a breakwater jetty and ate into the asphalt parking lot nearby. Mounds of sand buried a bike path that runs from Torrance Beach to Avenue H in Redondo Beach and sea water flooded into a parking lot and public bathroom facility. Additionally, the high surf and tide surge swamped a block jetty at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, flooding and closing the nearby parking lot.
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