Parts of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are flooding as high tides begin to roll in ahead of Tropical Storm Rachel making its way toward Southern California this weekend.
This morning, the Balboa Peninsula saw street flooding as high surf continues to push seawater into the streets. Residents are being advised to avoid flooded areas.
Newport Beach leaders declared a state of emergency in the city shortly after noon Friday following the flooding, allowing the city to use additional resources to reduce the impacts of flooding.
“Residents and property owners are encouraged to take appropriate precautions to protect their homes and property as coastal flooding may occur despite ongoing City mitigation efforts,” reads the declaration.
“City personnel will continue to assess coastal conditions and deploy available resources in response to changing circumstances. These measures are intended to reduce potential flooding impacts, but cannot eliminate all flood risks,” the statement continued. “Additional measures, including temporary street closures and parking restrictions, may be implemented as conditions warrant.”
According to the Newport Police Department, as of 11:11 a.m. today crews in the city were working to rebuild sand berms and pump water out of streets.
Newport residents can pick up filled sandbags at Newport Beach City Yard, empty sandbags at any Newport fire station and from lifeguard trucks on the Peninsula.
They are also being advised to clear gutters and move cars away from flood-prone zones.
Laguna Beach also warned residents yesterday that seawater had begun flooding a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway and sidewalks near the coast.
Those high tides are coming in ahead of Tropical Storm Rachel, which is expected to make landfall late Saturday to early Sunday.
It is expected that Sunday will bring the worst of the storm, with rainfall and gusty winds hitting the coast, according to the National Weather Service.
The entire Southern California coastline is under a Coastal Flood Advisory until Tuesday at 2 p.m. because of high tides expected in the area.
“Mother Nature is unpredictable. Even with extensive preparation, some natural disasters exceed what science and experts can anticipate,” wrote Newport Councilmember Joe Stapleton in an Instagram post.
The storm comes as the National Weather Service is predicting an intense El Niño season this year, with a 83% chance of a historic event from October to December, and 70% for November through January.
Coastal cities have been attempting to strengthen their coastlines ahead of the potentially historic season, with several cities building sand berms and placing boulders to protect coastal infrastructure.
Last month, several coastal cities declared states of emergency after Labor Day weekend storms brought high tides and strong surf to the beaches.
The Orange County Transportation Authority also approved emergency action to ship sand and stabilizing boulders, known as riprap, to beaches ahead of the El Niño season, though there was no timeline provided as to when the sand would be placed.
Most of the sand will be placed in San Clemente – a city that has been grappling with ways to protect its rapidly shrinking beaches, while protecting a train line that runs along the coast.
Michelle King is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at michelleking.news@gmail.com.
