San Diego beaches shut down due to bacteria level spike

Beaches in San Diego are currently closed due to a surge in bacteria levels resulting from recent storm activity, prompting health officials to advise beachgoers to avoid the water.

Numerous shorelines throughout San Diego County were shut down over the weekend after heavy rainfall created contaminated runoff, according to NBC 7 San Diego.

The closures span from Imperial Beach to Silver Strand and up to Coronado, as officials noted. Increased bacteria levels in the ocean have led to the county posting yellow hazard signs to warn swimmers and surfers to stay away.

Health officials typically issue advisories for around 72 hours after substantial rainfall, as stormwater runoff can introduce bacteria, debris, and other pollutants into the water.

Despite the warnings and temperatures dipping into the low 60s, many people still visited Coronado’s scenic coastline on Saturday as the gray skies cleared, giving way to sunshine.

“We were just planning to go to the beach, just to look at it, but it was a bit too cold to actually go into the water,” said Katie Peterson, who was there with her family, as reported by NBC 7.

Some surfers disregarded the caution tape and ventured out into the water, taking advantage of the calmer conditions following days of storms. Others, however, were more cautious.

“I found it a bit confusing because I was thinking, ‘Oh wow, it’s a beach, but we can’t actually go into the water,’” Lizzie Peterson shared with the network.

County officials have urged residents to heed the advisories, warning that swimming in contaminated waters may lead to illness.

A general rain advisory remains in effect across San Diego County until Monday afternoon as lingering runoff continues to affect water quality.

Although the sand may appear pristine once more, officials emphasize that the ocean remains unsafe — at least for the time being.

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