Crews clean debris after storms

Cleanup crews took to Huntington Harbour and the coastline this weekend after a series of heavy storms that left debris on the sand and water.

Scott Smith, the city’s beach operations supervisor, said crews were still busy this morning collecting refuse and planned to keep busy through the week, as another storm is predicted for Tuesday. Much of the trash, he said, had landed on the beach via the city’s flood control channels.

“We get everything from garden hoses that people throw over their block walls in the inland areas to Styrofoam cups, plastic bags, trees — the stuff that comes in on the high tide,” Smith said.

He added that a few objects, including a 30-foot palm tree, were more surprising.

“We had a refrigerator come down the Edinger channel and wash up on the bank,” he said. “There’s a lot of kids’ toys that come up on the beach. Things you would think would sink, like stuffed animals, wash up on the beach.”

— Michael Miller