Hurricane Polo sends dangerous swells toward Southern California as urgent warning issued

A massive hurricane is barreling toward Mexico as Southern California braces for dangerous surf, powerful rip currents and coastal flooding — with the storm’s enormous swells expected to slam into beaches across the region.

Hurricane Polo is forecast to make landfall in Baja California Sur on Monday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, after exploding into one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the eastern Pacific.

But while Polo is not expected to make a direct hit on Southern California, its massive wave energy is expected to surge north toward the coast, with the most significant impacts forecast for Monday and Tuesday.

Swells are expected to begin arriving late Sunday, while high tides could reach around 7 feet, raising the threat of flooding along beaches, walkways and low-lying coastal areas.

The NWS warned LA and Ventura counties could see four to seven-foot surf, along with strong rip currents, beach erosion and possible coastal flooding as the large swell arrives during high tide.

Areas of particular concern include the Long Beach Peninsula, Belmont Shore, Malibu and Avalon, although dangerous conditions could extend along much of the Southern California coastline.

The coastline is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Marie earlier this month, with powerful swells, king tides and dangerous surf causing widespread erosion and infrastructure damage.

Long Beach, Malibu and other coastal communities saw flooding, damaged seawalls and significant beach erosion, leaving some areas vulnerable as they continue to deal with the storm’s aftermath.

In Long Beach and Seal Beach, crews have been reinforcing sand berms and preparing for flooding.

In Seal Beach, lifeguard stands were removed from portions of the beach after erosion left some areas with little safe space for the equipment.

Long Beach officials have also been working to strengthen the sand berm protecting homes along the peninsula and preparing sandbags and pumps ahead of the expected swell. 

“The main concern with this particular system is the significant wave energy, very dangerous surf, significant and potentially dangerous to deadly rip currents will also be occurring,” NOAA’s Dr. Ariel Cohen told KTLA. 

The coastal threat has become so serious that wildlife officials even relocated two newly discovered olive ridley sea turtle nests from Seal Beach and Huntington Beach to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, citing the combination of high tides and dangerous surf. 

Meanwhile, dramatic footage from inside Polo shows just how powerful the hurricane became.

Video shared by NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters shows a WP-3D aircraft plunging directly through Polo’s violent eyewall.

In the cockpit, the aircraft can be seen violently rattling and bouncing as the crew pushes toward the eye, before the turbulent ride gives way to an eerie pocket of calm.

Another view from the flight shows blue sky surrounded by towering white clouds as the aircraft emerges inside the hurricane’s eye.

Polo previously reached an extraordinary 180 mph, with central pressure dropping to about 892 millibars, placing it among the most intense eastern Pacific hurricanes ever measured.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters