Rec Trail in Pacific Grove and Ocean View Boulevard west of Lovers Point closed due to high waves.

High waves crashing into the Pacific Grove coastline this morning, Thursday, Jan. 5, prompted city officials to close the Recreation Trail and Ocean View Boulevard west of Lovers Point. Reopening time remains unknown, possibly in the afternoon.

Some waves are reaching the trail, creating hazardous conditions, says City Manager Ben Harvey.

The powerful atmospheric river that slammed into the Monterey County coastline on Wednesday night resulted in damage and heavy debris along Ocean View Boulevard. The next morning, Jan. 5, waves estimated at 20 feet high crashed over fences and spilled over onto the roadway. The road is now closed between Lovers Point and Asilomar State Beach.

The high, forceful waves were a display longtime city employees said they had never seen before. "It's historic," Harvey says.

Despite high winds the night before, Harvey says damage to the city was not as severe as expected. A tree came down and blocked a street near Chase Park along Jewell Avenue, not far from Lovers Point. 

Another tree that is threatening to fall along Congress Avenue near Rip Van Winkle Open Space, between David Avenue and Sunset Drive, is being removed today. The road will be closed for a couple of hours while crews remove it.