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Something stinks in Huntington Beach.

Going back decades, residents along the coastline between Long Beach and Newport Beach have reported a powerful stench that wafts into the region every so often and lingers for an hour or longer.

Depending on who is asked, it happens as frequently as multiple times a month or a handful of times a year.

But it is unmistakable, residents say — bad enough to make heads throb and stomachs queasy. (Officials said there have been no known serious illnesses linked to the odor.)

“It’s more than a smell,” said Ellery A. Deaton, a City Council member in Seal Beach. “It’s noxious. When it happens I need to run around and close my windows.”