Seal Beach Pier and beach close because of lightning and then reopen
The Seal Beach Pier and beach were temporarily closed Wednesday morning amid reports of lightning during the region’s first rainstorm this season.
The Police Department announced the closure shortly after 9 a.m.
Expand
About 30 minutes later, the areas were open once again, city marine safety authorities said.
Similarly, authorities in Santa Monica evacuated all beaches, sand areas and the pier at one point because of the lightning.
Sand berms were in place at some local beaches, and sandbags were offered in some neighborhoods as forecasters predicted the rain will pick up Wednesday afternoon and return in coming days.
Some agencies warned of runoff and debris in the recent wildfire-burn areas.
Officially, the rain season begins on Oct. 1.
This year a portion of the pier was opened once again to the public after being shuttered for three years following a fire that destroyed the Ruby’s Diner atop the walkway. No restaurant or other establishment has taken Ruby’s place yet on the pier, first built in the early 1900s.
The pier-improvement project included structural repairs to the famed pier’s frame and its piles, replacement of a sewer-pump system and new electrical wiring.