![\"Storm](\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/media\/photo\/2010-01\/51828974.jpg\")
<\/img><\/p>\n<\/img><\/p>\n
Sewage-strewn beaches often appear after Southern California is
\npummeled by storms, with those near river mouths hit especially hard.
\nThe rain and wind pull debris and garbage into riverbeds that
\neventually spit everything out into the ocean.<\/p>\n
Last week’s powerful storms have left their mark on Seal Beach.
<\/br>
<\/br>Seal Beach
\nreceived refuse that had traveled along the 75-mile-long San Gabriel
\nRiver, which begins in the Angeles National Forest, runs through the
\nSanta Fe Flood Control Basin and empties into the Pacific Ocean. Over
\nin Long Beach, the sand was also awash in rubbish, courtesy of the Los
\nAngeles River that flows through the San Fernando Valley and Santa
\nSusana Mountains.
<\/br>
<\/br>"Unfortunately it’s just the way things are,
\nliving in an urban place like this," said Seal Beach lifeguard
\nsupervisor Tim Senneff. "We get a lot of trash any time it rains, but
\nespecially with back-to-back storms."
<\/br>
<\/br>The city’s Department of
\nPublic Works is expected to begin clearing the garbage this week, with
\nlifeguards responding over the weekend to immediate needs, such as
\nremoving the carcasses of animals that had washed ashore.<\/p>\n