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Many Beaches Closed Along South Coast Due To High Bacteria Levels From Heavy Storm

About a dozen beaches along the South Coast are closed due to contamination caused by the destructive storm earlier this month.

Ocean water samples were tested, and the results revealed high levels of bacteria.

"Usually after a rain, with the first one to three days, it's very common the bacteria results are high. But, with this incident, it had such an enormous impact that our beaches are still showing high bacteria levels, and here we are more than a week and a half later," said Susan Klein-Rothschild, who is deputy director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.

In Santa Barbara County, the following eight beaches are closed because of high bacteria: Arroyo Burro, Carpinteria State  Beach, East  Beach at Mission Creek, East Beach at Sycamore Creek, El Capitan State Beach, Hope Ranch Beach, Goleta Beach and Summerland Beach.  Butterfly and Hammond beaches are closed as a precaution because they couldn't be tested.  Rincon Beach in Ventura County is also shut down because of high contamination.