A Seal Beach, California restaurant is facing a double whammy after high surf caused flooding and later revealed a significant sinkhole in its parking lot. The Beach House, at the intersection of 1st Street and Ocean Avenue, had initially closed due to the weekend deluge, only to discover the gaping hole once the water receded—measuring the width of two parking spaces and a depth of about 3 feet. KABC reported the owner, Rosie Ritchie, as saying the damage is "devastating for us."
The city crews were on the scene pumping out water and while the owner maintained hope to continue the business, the flooding proved too overwhelming, Ritchie lamented the loss, telling KABC, "It's hard because we've put so much time into it, five years of building it, and a lot of money." Residents expressed surprise at the sinkhole's appearance, with one noting to KTLA 5 News that such occurrences are rare in the area—one local speculating that the powerful pumps used to clear floodwaters might have played a role in creating the void.
The unexpected event caught the attention of onlookers during the New Year's Day aftermath; Seal Beach officials have yet to provide details on the cause or the planned response to this development. Orange County faced high surf warnings and coastal flood advisories into Monday, with beaches in Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, and Newport Beach identified by the National Weather Service as flood-prone areas.
This turn of events underscores the unpredictable nature of coastal flooding in Southern California, seen firsthand by many locals and business owners, a high surf alert spells disrupted plans and property threats, and for The Beach House, the advent of 2024 has ushered in a challenging start.
