Newport Beach expected intense surf Friday, but the high tide turned out to be much worse than the estimates.
Water from a massive swell — double the size that was initially predicted — blasted through 20-foot berms erected at the Wedge and washed out roads from about 21st Street to 6th Street, officials said. City crews responded quickly to pump out water as residents surveyed the damage.
“This is the worst I’ve seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula,” said Newport Beach City Councilman Joe Stapleton.
The city was one of several coastal communities to see flooding Friday as residents braced for Tropical Storm Rachel, which is expected to cause more issues over the weekend.
Flooding: No injuries were reported, but some houses were damaged in Long Beach and Newport Beach, where several streets flooded.
Forecast: Rachel’s arrival will bring the potential for strong winds, rain and more damaging coastal flooding. If the current storm trajectory holds, the bulk of Rachel’s effects will be felt in San Diego County on Sunday morning. However, Orange and Los Angeles counties are still forecast to see widespread rain and coastal flooding as a result of the system, according to the National Weather Service. See more on the timeline here.
Exceptionally high tides: At around 9 a.m. Friday, the high tide in San Diego and La Jolla was 17 inches higher than the official prediction, which doesn’t account for hotter-than-normal ocean waters or swells from tropical storms, according to forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tides were coming in 16 inches higher than the official prediction in Santa Monica and 14 inches higher in San Francisco as of Friday morning.
Here is a round-up along the coast:
Newport Beach lifeguards and city crews filled sandbags for oceanfront residents following Friday’s high-tide flooding on the Balboa Peninsula.
(Susan Hoffman)
Newport Beach
Streets on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach were flooded with at least a foot of water during high tides, with police advising residents and motorists to avoid the area. The flooding was remarkable even for a neighborhood that has been prone to regular inundations in the past, particularly during El Niño.
Officials are still trying to determine how many homes were damaged.
“This swell was very unprecedented coming up that high,” Georgia Rios, a spokesperson for the city of Newport Beach, told The Times. “We knew we were going to have a high swell due to Tropical Storm Rachel, but along with El Niño it really has been a combination force here in Newport.”
The city declared a local emergency Friday and urged residents to pick up sandbags to protect their homes over the weekend. City crews are pumping out water on the streets, rebuilding beach berms and opening tide valves to help mitigate water intrusion.
“This is not even the worst that is expected,” Rios said. “It’s forecast to get even worse on Sunday with rain.”
Residents can pick up sandbags at Newport Beach’s corporation yard at 592 Superior Ave., which will remain open overnight to distribute the bags, City Manager Seimone Jurjis said at a news conference Friday.
Other distribution sites include Marina Park and the lifeguard headquarters on Balboa Peninsula.
“I strongly encourage residents in flood-prone areas to take precautions now,” Jurjis said. “Move vehicles and possessions away from areas that may flood and secure your property with sandbags and other measures. Please do not wait until water begins rising to prepare.”
Newport Beach Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic told ABC7 that the morning tide came in 20 inches higher than what had been predicted. “It’s significant. We’ve seen it be 12 inches higher, but this is, you know, kind of record-breaking for us,” he told the outlet.
Vukojevic said Friday that the city’s “great risk points” include the popular surfing spot known as the Wedge, 6th Street to 15th Street, and 40th Street to 60th Street.
The Newport Beach Police Department said in an alert Friday that the parking lots at Balboa and Newport Beach piers were closed. Police encouraged drivers to exercise caution in low-lying areas around the city.
Jurjis said Friday evening that the process of draining flooded streets was taking longer than usual because ocean levels remained high, even during low-tide times.
A sand berm protects oceanfront property along the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach following a flooding event on Friday.
(Susan Hoffman)
Laguna Beach
The intersection of Coast Highway and Broadway was inundated with water from big waves and high tides. The typically sandy sections of Main Beach — where locals often gather to walk along the sand and play beach volleyball — were transformed into a sea of water.
Aliso Beach has also been affected by flooding, the city said in a briefing shared on social media Friday afternoon.
The flooding is expect to continue for about two weeks, so commuters should plan accordingly, as high-tide periods are expected to result in lane closures, according to City Manager Dave Kiff.
“It’s a time to observe the ocean from afar unless you’re an expert swimmer or surfer,” said Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond, adding that all rocky beach areas in the area should be considered closed.
Huntington Beach
High surf battered parts of Huntington Beach, resulting in localized flooding on streets in the Sunset Beach area. That stretch is prone to flooding during high tides and storm surges.
There were no reports of any property damage.
City officials said they have activated the Emergency Operations Center in preparation for the weekend and are making sand and sandbags available to residents.
Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach residents can collect up to 20 sandbags at the city’s corporate yard, Edison Community Center and Warner Fire Station, according to the city’s website. The sandbags are self-service, meaning residents should bring their own shovel. Businesses are not eligible and proof of residency is required.
Long Beach
Powerful waves crumbled large sections of the boardwalk on the Long Beach Peninsula and left several homes with severe structural damage. Video showed waves slamming against the bulkhead that protects beachfront homes.
The city has already been besieged by an unusually active, El Niño-fueled hurricane season, taking damage from Hurricane Marie over Labor Day weekend and Hurricane Polo last month.
“We’ve had three storms pretty much back to back to back,” said Laath Martin, a spokesperson for the city. “This is definitely not something that we see very often.”
Officials have red-tagged two properties, including a duplex with three units. Three buildings have also been yellow-tagged ahead of Rachel’s arrival after sustaining damage from Hurricane Marie.
Long Beach has already distributed more than 7,500 sandbags as residents prepare for what could be a very trying weekend. Sandbags are available at Long Beach Fire Department neighborhood stations, according to the city’s website. Bring a shovel, as the sandbags are self-service. Each Long Beach resident can pick up a maximum of 10 bags, and identification is required.
“It’s hard to predict exactly what will happen, but just based on forecasts, we’re preparing for more damage,” Martin said.
The Long Beach Post reported that the city plans to fast-track a multimillion-dollar dredging project to rebuild a portion of Peninsula Beach as a result of the strong waves. Work will now begin Saturday, the outlet reported.