8-to-10 Foot Waves Pound SoCal Beaches as Latest El Niño Storm Arrives (VIDEO)

I'm doing daddy daycare chauffeur duties today, but I'd love to be down at the beach checking out the high surf.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Monster waves batter California coast as latest El Niño storm passes through":

Southern California was soaked on Thursday with another storm driven by El Niño, sending powerful waves crashing against oceanfront Malibu homes and delaying power restoration for thousands of mountain dwellers in the Big Bear area.

The storm prompted the National Weather Service to issue a strong surf warning for beaches across the California coast as waves rose above 15 feet in many areas — and as much as 35 feet at Maverick's Beach in Northern California.

The final scattered rains came a day after the week's strongest storm washed away hillsides, flooded freeways and dumped heavy snow in the mountains.

In Malibu, the storm passed in the early-morning hours, clocking winds at 35 mph and covering homes with pea-sized hail. Sporadic lightning strikes and minor street flooding also were reported.

Surfers complained that many of the swells were too chaotic to ride, and Los Angeles County health officials advised against ocean-water contact for up to 72 hours because of elevated bacteria levels — especially near drainpipes, harbors and the mouths of rivers...

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