File photo. 

Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) officials announced the closure of beaches in Long Beach due to lightning Wednesday afternoon, effective immediately, following in the footsteps of beaches in Huntington Beach and Newport. However, within the hour, the storm cell had passed, and the beaches reopened. 

Immediately following the storm sighting, LBFD lifeguards closed the beaches and cleared the waters.

“There were concerns about lightning strikes in proximity,” said LBFD spokesman Jake Heflin. “It’s in line with what beaches south of us are doing.”

However, within the hour, the LBFD notified the department that the cell system had cleared the area.

A tweet was issued by the LBFD within the hour that the beaches had reopened. 

This story was updated on 09/10/15 at 11:48AM with complete information regarding the beach’s reopening after their closure.