California’s shoreline is heading into a winter that coastal experts say could be unlike any other. A strong El Nino, unusually intense king tides, and longer-term sea level rise are lining up to push water levels to what scientists warn could be the highest ever recorded along the state’s coast, reports the Los Angeles Times. Tides are already running several inches above forecasts from San Diego to Humboldt County, eroding beaches and exposing old infrastructure before El Nino even peaks.
“Folks who really think about coastal risks are very concerned that the single-highest sea levels on record are quite possible this winter in California,” says University of California climate scientist Daniel Swain. “And that is going to be a problem.” By late fall, raised seas are expected to collide with some of the decade’s most extreme king tides, with peak days around Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Jan. 22. If big winter storms arrive at the same time, low-lying communities such as Mission Beach, Newport Beach, and parts of Long Beach could see significant flooding, erosion, and wave damage.