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Don't go into the ocean! LA County beaches under an advisory thanks to winter storm

Mounds of debris lay on a sandy beach. A person is walking a small dog in the distance with waves lapping along the shore.
Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro remains closed until further notice due to 100,000 gallons of sewage spilling.
(
Christina House
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Image
)

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Topline:

All L.A. County beaches are under an advisory until Monday, public health officials announced this week. It's in response to the historic winter storm. Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro remains closed until further notice after 100,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the water and onto the sand.

Why avoid water? Officials are also warning residents to stay away from free-flowing water, especially near storm drains, creeks and rivers that could be contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash and other health hazards following rainfall. The advisory is in effect until 8 a.m. Monday.

Details on the sewage: The sewage discharge came from a manhole in Carson, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in an X post. L.A. County Public Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Is this unusual? Similar spills have happened near San Pedro following major storms. Last year, millions of gallons of untreated sewage leaked into the Dominguez Channel, the Compton Creek, and in the city of Commerce following a major storm.

Go deeper into LAist’s up-to-date storm coverage.

Corrected December 26, 2025 at 1:28 PM PST

A previous version of this story incorrectly reported on beach closures. It was an advisory.

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