A long-period Southern Hemisphere swell arrived in Southern California on June 9 and brought high surf and strong rip currents to Orange and San Diego County beaches. An unconscious swimmer was rescued in La Jolla from a rip current and transported to a local hospital.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
A long-period Southern Hemisphere swell arrived in Southern California on June 9 and brought high surf and strong rip currents to Orange and San Diego County beaches. An unconscious swimmer was rescued in La Jolla from a rip current and transported to a local hospital. Lifeguards rescued hundreds of people from the water during this event.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 9, 8:58 AM PST, 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Diego CA
958 AM PDT Sat Jun 9 2018
...Dangerous Swimming Conditions Sunday-Tuesday...
.SYNOPSIS...
A strong trough moving across northern California today will bring
gusty west winds to the mountains and deserts this afternoon and
evening. A Catalina Eddy will spin up over the coastal waters
tonight for more night and morning marine layer clouds within 10
miles of the coast. High pressure over Texas will build westward
next week for warmer days. Subtropical moisture may move into the
Southwest late next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
Marine layer cloud coverage were more widespread this morning
than yesterday with overcast skies extending about 10 miles inland.
Ceilings were 600-800 feet MSL, with areas of fog in the higher
inland terrain at SDM and CRQ where vis fell early this morning to
1/4 to 1/2 mile. The inversion is not very strong this morning, so
the low cloudiness and fog cleared rapidly with now sunshine
prevailing.
This afternoon a strong upper trough passes through north-central
CA. This trough will bring strong west winds to the mountains and
deserts this afternoon and evening with gusts of 30-40 mph in most
areas, and stronger gusts of 50 mph in the wind prone areas like the
San Gorgonio Pass.
A coastal eddy will spin up over the outer waters tonight which will
deepen the marine layer a few hundred feet, and low clouds will
spread a little farther inland by Sunday morning. It'll be a couple
degrees cooler Sunday behind the trough. The eddy circulation
lingers off the San Diego County coast Sunday night for more coastal
low clouds Monday morning.
It will turn warmer Monday through Wednesday as a 590 dm ridge over
Texas retrogrades westward toward New Mexico and Arizona. Highs will
be in the mid 90s in the Inland Empire, and approach 110 in the
lower deserts. A shallow marine layer will keep coastal highs in the
70s and low 80s.
There is the potential for tropical moisture from two Eastern
Pacific cyclones to get drawn into the Southwest late next week.
Right now it looks like the bulk of the moisture will move across
Baja and into Arizona and New Mexico, with SoCal on the western
periphery of the deep moisture. But this can change, and this first
surge of tropical moisture is something to watch over the next few
days.
&&
.AVIATION...
091630Z...Coast/Valleys...Patchy VIS of 4-6 SM HZ will improve to
P6SM by late morning, with VFR conditions through this afternoon.
Stratus will develop along the coast tonight, with bases 1000-1500
ft MSL and tops near 2000 ft MSL. A coastal eddy will help push
clouds 10-20 SM inland by Sun morning. Inland valleys where low
clouds near higher terrain could have VIS of 1-3 SM BR overnight.
Mountains/Deserts...West to southwest surface wind gusts of 35-45 kt
will develop along desert mountain slopes into adjacent deserts this
afternoon and tonight. LLWS and moderate up/downdrafts are possible
through the period. Areas of blowing dust may also reduce visibility
at times from the gusty winds. Otherwise, mostly clear through Sun
morning.
&&
.MARINE...
Northwest wind gusts of 20-25 kt and combined seas of 7-9 ft will
develop this afternoon and evening over the outer waters. A Small
Craft Advisory remains in effect from 3 pm this afternoon through 9
pm this evening. Otherwise, no hazardous marine conditions are
expected Sunday through Friday.
&&
.BEACHES...
A Southern Hemisphere swell will affect the beaches this weekend
into early next week. Forerunners will arrive on Saturday (1-2 FT at
20 seconds from the SSW/200 degrees) resulting in surf up to 5 feet
at the beaches. The swell will build Sunday to 3-4 FT at 17-19
second period, leading to surf heights 6-8 FT Sunday-Tuesday with
the highest surf likely Monday afternoon. Occasional 10+ FT breakers
are expected at The Wedge (southern Orange County/Newport Beach)
Monday-Tuesday. The large waves, and strong rip and longshore
currents will result in hazardous swimming conditions at the
beaches. A High Surf Advisory remains in effect Sunday through
Tuesday.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...High Surf Advisory from 11 AM Sunday to 8 PM PDT Tuesday for
Orange County Coastal Areas-San Diego County Coastal Areas.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 PM PDT this
evening for Waters from San Mateo point to the Mexican
Border Extending 30 to 60 nm out including San Clemente
Island.
&&
PUBLIC...Gregoria/Moede
AVIATION/MARINE...JJTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
Lifeguards reported 4-7 ft surf on Huntington and Newport beaches. 6-8 ft surf was reported at Laguna Beach. 8-12 ft surf reported at The Wedge. Orange County lifeguards stated they had hundreds of water rescues during this event.
Reports of 5-7 ft surf at Northern San Diego County Beaches and 3-5 ft surf reported at Southern San Diego County Beaches. Lower Trestles had surf of 5-8 ft. Two surfers rescued an unconscious swimmer off the coast of La Jolla. The swimmer had a pulse once rescued and was transported to a local hospital.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, June 2018
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 765884, 765885.