With another round of king tides expected along Southern California’s coast during Thanksgiving week, the city of Huntington Beach has warned beachfront homeowners to take protective measures to avoid possible fines.
NBC Los Angeles learned Wednesday that homeowners on Sunset Beach began receiving notices from the city a week ago, urging them to make certain changes within three days ahead of the potentially destructive tides.
Amy Osete, one of the homeowners who received the notice, was told to clear drainage areas, secure loose items and put up sandbags and other flood barriers that are at least 2 feet high. The notice gave her three days to meet the requirements, and that deadline has already passed.
“They posted it on a Thursday evening, and it says three days, which means like Sunday. And that’s kind of ridiculous, especially when you have this much space to take care of,” Osete said.
She also wondered whether her home would be protected even if she did everything the city asked of her. If her neighbors neglected the notice, she worried that it would affect her home, as the water would be “just going to come in.”
The city of Huntington Beach said inspections of the waterfront properties that received the notices have not started but are planned in the coming days.
Officials said they are willing to work with homeowners before issuing fines of $200 to $1,000 to those who refuse to comply.
Other neighbors expressed their frustration, saying the decision to issue possible citations is “extreme.”
“I guess they’re trying to make it be as serious as possible,” Greg Wagner said, adding that while his home is in an area that’s prone to flooding, he did not receive a notice.
For homeowners who need help figuring out exactly what they need to do, city officials said they can request assistance so a representative can come out to the property and walk them through the required changes.
The city told NBCLA that the goal is to get the homes prepared before the next storm, not to hand out fines. No fines had been issued as of Wednesday.
In another Orange County coastal city, Newport Beach, a similar measure has already been implemented, with notices issued to homeowners. Newport Beach has so far handed out 21 notices of violation and two $200 citations.