Dec 21, 2005
A powerful storm in the East Pacific generated very large swells that later impacted the Southern California coastline for two days. The swell arrived in Southern California on the morning of the 21st and peaked that afternoon with sets reaching 20 feet high. The high surf resulted in countless broken surfboards, hundreds of rescues, some minor injuries, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. One surfer in Oceanside suffered a shoulder injury and another surfer at Seal Beach suffered a broken leg.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5482540). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in San Diego County Coasts County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.