New restaurant, Beach House, in Seal Beach flooded as storm approaches Orange County

Tropical Storm Kay: Seal Beach, Long Beach residents on edge with flooding concerns

A new restaurant in Orange County was flooded Friday as a storm is expected to approach Southern California. 

Beach House in Seal Beach had a muddy parking lot with six inches of water, according to the owners, Brian Kyle and Rosie Ritchie. 

The beach-side restaurant, which is under construction, was supposed to have a grand opening in a couple of weeks. However, Kyle said he hasn't seen flooding like this in decades and is worried the patio will be next. 

"Well, I kept watching the waterlines, and I was going uh oh," said Kyle. 

Tropical Storm Kay off the coast of Baja California is pushing clouds and some rain into Southern California, but it's unclear how big the storm's impact will be because it's expected to weaken as it moves north.

Kay could bring some significant rain totals to the region.

Kyle and Ritchie said they are hoping the storm does not completely destroy what has been built so far at Beach House. They estimate they have put $2 million into the restaurant so far. 

Crews began placing sandbags near a chain-link fence and lifting expensive equipment onto wood pallets. 

"We're just staying positive," said Ritchie. "We want to open Seal Beach's favorite hot spot, here and on the sand." 

Kay is expected to become a tropical depression as it moves into cooler ocean waters and weaken into a low-pressure system by Saturday. 

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