Sand and debris fill Beach Drive in Aptos, California, on December 30, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

Coastal communities in California faced another day of towering waves and possible flooding on Saturday as officials issued evacuation orders in some areas and warned residents to stay off beaches and coastal roadways.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles forecast significant flooding in low-lying coastal areas with powerful waves and strong rip currents posing an exceptional risk of drowning and damage to structures like piers and jetties.

Waves as high as 6.1 meters could wreak more havoc on waterside homes in vulnerable communities along much of the California shoreline, battered by extreme surf and heavy rains over the end of the week.

Officials in southern California’s Ventura County issued an evacuation warning on Saturday for residences along the Pacific Coast Highway, and area beaches remained closed, the Ventura County Fire Department said.