KTLA

L.A. County beachgoers asked to avoid water days after Tropical Storm Hilary

Tropical Storm Hilary did a number at Los Angeles County beaches, with some areas seeing trash and debris accumulation at the shore.

An ocean water quality rain advisory is in effect until at least 9 a.m. Thursday, and beachgoers are being asked to avoid water contact.


It is common for bacterial levels in coastal levels to increase after a storm, as rainfall flushes contaminants like trash, metals and car fluids from streets into the ocean through rivers, creeks, storm drains and others.

Aerial video from Sky5 captured garbage, debris and seaweed at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey.

A cleanup is under way in Long Beach at the end of the Los Angeles River, where trash accumulated after the storm.

Further south, in Seal Beach, people could be seen picking up trash along the sand, and broken furniture and other debris got caught in rocks.

Despite the warning from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, surfers could still be seen out at local beaches Wednesday.

Marrisa Axelrod decided to brave the waters because she had the day off.

“There’s waves,” she noted. “I looked yesterday at the water, it still looked a little brown, so I didn’t come out … Did a quick glance this morning when I woke up at 7 o’clock and there was a little something, got some butterflies in my stomach while I was driving through the canyon and saw a set right as I pulled up and I’m extremely excited.”