Marley Stevens, an Ocean Beach resident for six months, and a male friend made the most Sunday of Tropical Storm Hilary. At least its remnants.
For half an hour, they stood at the flooded intersection of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Long Branch Avenue — encouraging drivers to give them a late-afternoon drenching.
“This is our way of life,” they said.
Stevens, a 22-year-old Cal State San Marcos student, held a can of Booch Craft Organic Hard Kombucha (ginger lime) during her natural liquid refreshment.
Not far away, Cam and Tiffany Hartner watched the ocean from the back of their parked SUV overlooking Sunset Cliffs — snacking on Tostitos and pistachios.
No sweat for them either.
He’s a Marine. She’s in the Coast Guard — and a veteran of Atlantic rescues of people “who underestimated the force of nature.”
The Hartners were married just over a year ago and moved to San Diego in July. From New Orleans.
Asked if they experienced 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, they said no. But they were evacuated from 2021’s Category 4 Hurricane Ida — the second-most destructive storm to hit Louisiana.
“I didn’t realize that hurricanes came out to the West Coast,” Tiffany said. But she saluted the city and county for being prepared.
They said they’d made plans themselves and were hanging out to watch the weather — ready to return home nearby quickly and shelter in place.
Asked their advice for hurricane newbies, Cam said: “Stay indoors.”
Tiffany added that even though Hilary wasn’t as severe as some feared, “I think this was a good practice run. … It should get everybody’s mind in the right place.”
Were a major category hurricane to impact Southern California, she said: “This is a good practice run for what could actually happen.”
