Coastal Orange County experienced another wet night as king tides caused flooding on August 1. In various areas, such as the Newport Beach peninsula and Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, the high tides reached nearly 7 feet, resulting in flooding. Jennifer Carey, spokesperson for Huntington Beach, stated that these types of floods occur several times a year near Pacific Coast Highway and Warner Avenue in the Huntington Harbour area.
The king tides are expected to continue on August 2 at approximately 10:40 PM, with a height of 6.9 feet. The Public Works crews have been working to pump water and minimize flooding for the past two nights, and they will do so again tonight.
Amidst the flooding, one woman took the opportunity to ride a stand-up paddleboard down the flooded street. Similar efforts are being made in Newport Beach, where crews have been working to prevent sea water from entering the streets. The affected areas include West Newport between 26th and 30th Street, as well as the Balboa Peninsula near the Fun Zone and A Street. John Pope, the city spokesperson, mentioned the efforts to pump water and the closure of Newport Boulevard for a few hours.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “king tides” refers to exceptionally high tides caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. These tides, combined with storms or swells, can lead to trouble. However, coastal engineering expert Brett Sanders from UC Irvine suggests that this year’s flooding, occurring during summer with no recent rain, could be attributed to the warm-water influence of El Nino. In previous El Nino years, water levels rose 6 inches to nearly a foot above predicted levels.
Sanders warns that the current flooding may be indicative of future issues caused by sea-level rise and warming waters. This could result in higher ocean levels becoming a regular occurrence, posing threats to coastal highways, buildings, and other infrastructure. To combat the flooding, residents can obtain sandbags from the Huntington Beach Public Works Yard and the Newport Beach municipal yard on Superior Avenue during business hours.
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