Nation ‘We dodged a bullet’: California oil spill could have decimated Huntington Beach. Why didn’t it? October 18, 2021 Celina Tebor and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY Comments Off on ‘We dodged a bullet’: California oil spill could have decimated Huntington Beach. Why didn’t it? The 25,000-gallon spill could have ravaged Huntington Beach, the environment and local economy. A combination of preparedness and luck came into play.