Carlsbad's Tamarack State Beach lost most of its sand in two weeks, and the parking lot is closed indefinitely.

California State Parks shuttered the lot after intense waves on Monday, Aug. 31, sent baseball-sized rocks across the pavement, the New York Post reported. The closure left beachgoers scrambling for spots along Carlsbad Boulevard and neighborhood side streets over Labor Day weekend.

The damage started in early August when Hurricane Genevieve drove massive swells into the Southern California coast. The churning surf washed away nearly all the sand, forced lifeguard towers to be relocated and left the large boulders lining the shore, known as riprap, in unstable positions, SFGATE reported. Another round of pounding on Monday, Aug. 31, finished off the lot.

Strong swells from Hurricane Marie were forecast to pound the coast through Labor Day weekend, according to the city manager's Thursday, Sept. 3, update.

City lacks authority over state beach

Carlsbad cannot lead repairs because it does not own the beach.

The city has about 7 miles of coastline but manages only about 1 mile. The remaining 6 miles, including Tamarack, belong to California State Parks, City Manager Geoff Patnoe wrote in a Thursday, Sept. 3, update.

Patnoe said the city has offered help to State Parks and stands ready to assist if the state requests it, but does not have authority to lead repairs on state property.

Jo Biswas, a California State Parks spokesperson, told SFGATE the agency is working with coastal engineers to develop a design plan for the site while monitoring the parking lot to maintain safe public access.

What visitors found

Surfer Danielle Skari told NBC 7 San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 5, that she struggled to get back to shore over rocks. "The whole bottom of the beach is missing," Skari said.

Roberto Vigilucci, who has run Vigilucci's Seafood and Steakhouse along Carlsbad Boulevard for 30 years, told NBC 7 the waves were huge this summer. He said the spot is popular with his employees who surf.

Pat Abbott, a geology professor at San Diego State University, told NBC 7 the erosion was driven by ocean storms and a warming planet. This year's intense El Niño is raising sea levels, according to SFGATE. The Climate Prediction Center expects "historic" weather conditions this fall.

What comes next

No reopening date has been set. In January, the city declared a local emergency to fast-track repairs to storm drain infrastructure in the coastal bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard and Solamar Drive after previous storm damage.

Researchers from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography planned to return to Tamarack the week of Tuesday, Sept. 8, to study the conditions further. The next Carlsbad City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 5 p.m. at 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.