One of Southern California's historic piers has been declared unstable and closed to the public after severe damage from recent storms.
The Ventura Pier remains full of workers making repairs to the latest blows from Mother Nature. Those who were visiting from other areas were surprised to see so many places closed or shut down throughout the county.
"Everything closed and we knew something had happened with the waves. We didn't know to what degree," said tourist Yvette Bucio.
To the disappointment of visitors, the hot spot will remain shut down through the foreseeable future while crews work on advancing its safety.
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"It was closed for a year. We started the work after getting federal funding then the high tides came and damaged the pier more," said Bill Aduye, with the city of Ventura.
Those waves and high winds according to Ventura officials damaged the county's coastline, creating flooding and even forcing a hotel to close down.
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"We had 65 homes and businesses damaged due to the storm and flooding last Dec. 28," Ayude said.
The city of Ventura declared a 60-day state of emergency to receive emergency funds from the state, which they say has nearly $3 million to repair the pier and attract urgently needed tourism.
"We are affected because the city doesn't take into account that we need them to make the repairs for the benefit of us and the city," said Marilú Arroyo, supervisor of Beach House Tacos.
The pier has a few businesses that are open to the public and they're hoping the community will support them during the pier closure, which the city says will last through the summer.
