Wintertime is a great season to experience the thunderous power of nature as storms assault Rialto Beach. On this page I've posted several photos taken during some spectacular storms which came ashore in November 1998.
We had a drier than normal spring and summer in 1998. However, it is inevitable that the rains will come. When they came in November, they hit hard, carrying mountains of debris and fallen trees down the rivers, out to sea, and, eventually, onto the beaches. The views above were taken at the height of a November storm, and are as follows: (Top Left) Looking northward towards Hole in the Wall. (Top Right) A view of a tangle of new driftwood logs and freshly exposed wood on the beach. (Bottom) Lynne and the dogs investigating the salty froth, looking southward with James Island in the background. Take note of the solitude attainable out here on a day like this. All the images above are clickable for a larger view
The combined action of heavy surf and high winds on Rialto's sloped gravelly beach whipped up a frequently thigh-deep froth . The photos above show some of the more impressive accumulations. The wind-driven undulation of this froth made it seem alive. The dogs were worried.
Everything out here was taking a terrific beating. Here are some stumps and trees trying to stand their ground.