It was another soggy night along coastal Orange County as king tides sent salt water flooding into streets Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Areas of the Newport Beach peninsula, both in West Newport and near the Fun Zone, along with Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, flooded during the night when high tides at about 10 p.m. neared 7 feet.
Huntington Beach spokesperson Jennifer Carey said flooding from higher than normal tides can happen a few times a year near Pacific Coast Highway and Warner Avenue in the Huntington Harbour area.
“We anticipate one more night of king tides (Wednesday) evening at approximately 10:40 at 6.9 feet,” she said in an email. “This will be the third night. Public Works crews have been mobilized each night to pump water and minimize flooding.”
One woman brought out a stand-up paddleboard and cruised down the flooded street and past carports.
Crews have also been out in Newport Beach the last few nights trying to keep the sea water at bay. Sea water has flooded streets in the area of West Newport between 26th and 30th street and the Balboa Peninsula near the Fun Zone and A street, prompting pumping and street closures, said city spokesperson John Pope.
Each night, workers set out to turn more than 30 valves to try and keep the bay water from breaching land, but sometimes it rises so high it overtops seawalls into the streets.
Newport Boulevard closed to traffic for a few hours Tuesday evening, but because of the late-night hours, it wasn’t a huge impact, Pope said. The same will likely happen tonight.
The Balboa Ferry also closed to vehicle traffic for a few hours on Tuesday.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, “king tides” is a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides.
Tides are long-period waves that roll around the planet as the ocean is “pulled” back and forth by the gravitational tug of the moon and the sun, according to NOAA.
When extreme high tides combine with storms or swells that can rise sea levels, it can cause trouble.
But this year, in the middle of summer with no rain for months, it could be El Nino’s warm-water influence causing the flooding, UC Irvine coastal engineering expert Brett Sanders said.
Previous El Nino years in the mid 90s and in 2015 show water levels rising 6 inches to nearly a foot more than the predicted levels.
The flooding local areas are experiencing could be a glimpse into the future with sea-level rise and warming waters that could make the higher ocean level an everyday occurrence, Sanders warned, meaning trouble for coastal highways, buildings and other infrastructure.
Residents can pick up sand bags at the Huntington Beach Public Works Yard during business hours and at the Newport Beach municipal yard on Superior Avenue.
Source: Orange County Register
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