Newport Beach Emergency: Coastal Infrastructure Faces Record Tide Surge

Coastal communities in Southern California are preparing for a week of flooding driven by tides that meteorologists describe as potentially record-breaking.

The National Weather Service warned that substantial flooding is expected in San Diego and Orange counties through Thursday. The agency predicts these conditions could close roads and inundate homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. North of that region, coastal areas from San Luis Obispo County to Los Angeles County may experience minor to moderate flooding, with tides reaching heights of up to eight feet.

Newport Beach declared a local emergency more than a week before the peak tides are forecast to arrive. City staff are currently inspecting infrastructure, reinforcing beach berms, and installing sandbags and other protective equipment. The city is providing free sandbags to residents and has advised them to inspect vulnerable areas around their properties. The National Weather Service office in San Diego urged the public to avoid beaches during high tides and to stay farther back from the ocean than usual because waves are expected to run much farther up the beach.

Seimone Jurjis, the city manager for Newport Beach, stated that ocean water levels in the region are already 15 to 22 inches higher than expected due to El Niño and the Kelvin wave. Jurjis noted that while a foot and a half of water may seem small, it can determine whether water stays below a seawall or spills into streets, garages, and homes during the year's highest tides.

This month has already produced extreme weather in the area, including flooding that covered city streets and large waves that struck beachside homes. The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel left a trail of destruction in California, damaging homes, destroying a boardwalk, and forcing residents to evacuate.

California is expected to face severe storms this winter as a historic El Niño unfolds in the Pacific.