Climateupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 31 January 1977King Tide Floods King Harbor in Redondo Beach as Coastal Flood Warning Hits Orange And San Diego
“Experts say king tides during full moons in November and December could be even worse.”
“Sea level rise due to human-caused climate change, this year’s super El Niño climate pattern and energy known as a Kelvin wave are all playing a role.”
Photo: Tequask, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Unusually high king tides flooded sidewalks and waterfront businesses at King Harbor, Redondo Beach. Tides approached about 8 feet along Southern California coast, triggering coastal flood warnings.
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King tides hit SoCal
Residents and business owners near King Harbor in Redondo Beach said unusually high tides flooded sidewalks and impacted waterfront businesses, and Chris Martz said, "I've lived here my whole life, I'm 72, so I've never seen anything like this in my whole life,".
Natasha Nelson said the water level was significantly higher than normal at King Harbor, and she added, "Only at this time of day, I would be able to see 3 feet below that sidewalk line".
The so-called king tide reached 8 feet, 2 inches Tuesday in the Los Angeles Harbor, breaking a record set just the day before.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Orange and San Diego counties through 1 p.m. Thursday, while coastal flood advisories remained in effect for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
KTLA said the highest tides were expected to continue through Wednesday along the Los Angeles County coastline, with coastal flooding remaining a concern through at least Thursday.
Warnings and preparations
In Newport Beach, city officials prepared for sea levels to climb even higher Tuesday, and Georgia Rios said Tuesday's tide could be roughly two inches higher than Monday's. Crews positioned sandbags and a large water pump on Newport Beach Boulevard and 32nd Street ahead of the morning high tide expected around 9:40 a.m. UC Agricultural and Natural Resources climate scientist Daniel Swain said, "The waters along the immediate coast of California are actually at record warm levels for the time of year".
The National Weather Service observed high tides along the Orange and San Diego county coastlines running 1.5 to 1.7 feet above astronomical predictions. The National Weather Service warned that flooding could affect beach parking lots, bike paths, harbor walkways and other vulnerable coastal areas, with moderate to significant beach erosion also likely.
What comes next
Higher tides and king wave events are expected in November and December, and the flooding is described as arriving during the busiest season for waterfront businesses. Newport Beach recorded tides reaching 8.4 feet, beating Monday's 8.3-foot tide, and Georgia Rios said, "We’re expecting even higher ones from November and December,". The National Weather Service warned that coastal flooding impacts could extend into the weekend, and additional warnings may be necessary if larger surf develops.
A wide swath of the coast from San Luis Obispo county to Los Angeles county could see "minor to moderate" coastal flooding with tides as high as 8ft. The effects could be seen in the Marin county community of Mill Valley, where footage captured cars stuck on a flooded road as paddleboarders moved past.