The ocean is pushing inland on both sides of the country this week. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for coastal Orange County and San Diego County from Sunday morning through Thursday afternoon, while a separate set of coastal flood warnings covers Atlantic coastal counties in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, plus the St. Johns River basin, from Saturday through Monday.
Two coasts, two oceans, one weekend. The reason the water is climbing is different on each side, and that difference explains how long this could last.
Where is the coastal flood warning in effect?
In Southern California, the warning covers the Orange County and San Diego County coasts. Los Angeles and Ventura county beaches sit under coastal flood advisories, with the highest tides expected Monday through Thursday and a peak Tuesday morning. NWS San Diego says water could run 1 to 1.7 feet above predicted levels, enough to close roads and inundate homes, businesses and some critical infrastructure.
On the Atlantic side, gusts of 40 to 45 mph are possible along the coast, and a high rip current risk covers area beaches for several days.
Why are the tides so high in California?
The Pacific is running warm. A National Weather Service meteorologist told ABC7 that warmer water expands and takes up more space, and that Kelvin waves tied to the ongoing El Niño are sloshing extra water toward the coast. Stack that on top of king tides, the highest tides of the year, and the margin for error disappears.
Newport Beach already knows how that ends. Flooding swamped parts of the Balboa Peninsula on Oct. 9, with vehicles driving through water covered streets. The city now expects tides to peak Oct. 27 at 6.7 feet, with possible crests up to 8.5 feet. Newport declared a local emergency and activated its Emergency Operations Center days in advance.
What is driving the Florida coastal flood warning?
The East Coast story is about wind and the moon. Forecasters say strong northeast winds will combine with high tides tied to the upcoming full moon to create moderate to locally major flooding. Seas offshore could build to 10 to 16 feet by late Saturday night and Sunday. Downpours that arrive during high tide could push water even higher.
Who gets hit hardest?
Oceanfront homes get the headlines. The quieter damage lands on commuters. Metrolink plans to suspend Orange County Line service south of the Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo station from Monday through Friday, cutting the coastal route toward San Clemente and Oceanside. For workers who cannot log on from home, a week without the train means longer drives, extra costs or lost hours.
Neighbors are filling the gaps. Volunteers with Newport’s Community Emergency Response Team filled sandbags and went door to door telling residents where to pick them up.
How long will the flooding threat last?
Longer than one week. Newport Beach says this round is the first in a series of king tide events expected to continue into the new year. With El Niño still in play, coastal towns may need to treat flood prep as a season instead of an emergency.
Residents in warned areas should move cars off low streets due to coastal flood, stay away from barricades and never drive through standing water. The NWS says 12 inches of fast moving water can carry away most vehicles.
