’Hazardous coastal conditions’ close Pismo Beach Pier as waves pound Central Coast
The Pismo Beach Pier was closed due to the unusually high surf that slammed San Luis Obispo County on Thursday, the city’s Police Department announced in an Instagram post.
“It has been forecasted that high tides and storm surge will combine for hazardous coastal conditions over the next couple of days and we’re already seeing the evidence of it,” the department wrote in the post. “Due to this report, the city has decided to close the pier.”
The Police Department also said it will be providing extra patrols on the pier and beach.
City manager Jorge Garcia said the closure was expected to last only through Thursday, “as the major portion of the swells will start to dissipate.”
The closure comes as “an exceptional high surf and flooding event” pounded San Luis Obispo County’s beaches, forcing water rescues and causing flooding. The storm surge also closed the Cayucos Pier on Thursday.
Garcia said Pismo Beach is currently “monitoring the storm for damage.”
“It may be a few days before we have a total assessment of the damage,” he wrote in an email to The Tribune.
Coastal flooding and high surf warnings for the region are in effect through Saturday.
