Newport Beach declared a local emergency on October 9 amid coastal flooding on Balboa Peninsula. The California city’s officials warned of high surf and elevated tides that could lead to more flooding throughout the weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a coastal flood warning on Friday afternoon for beaches in Orange county, which would last through 3pm on Sunday. They warned of flooding and beach erosion amid the approach of Tropical Storm Rachel towards Southern California.
Forecasters have also said that Sunday morning is one to watch with increased ocean swells, strong onshore winds, and high tides over 7 feet, which might combine to end up in dangerous coastal conditions.
There were fears of tsunami waves but these are unfounded. Meanwhile, scary videos have shown the flooding conditions.
Newport Beach, Balboa Peninsula flooding videos
One wrote “The City of Newport Beach is advising residents and motorists to avoid the Balboa Peninsula due to severe street flooding caused by recent storm conditions and elevated tides.”
Another added “Flooding hits hard on 15th St & West Balboa Blvd in Newport Beach, CA from Hurricane Rachel. Cyclist powering through the submerged streets. Stay safe out there.”
Yet another said “Flooding hits Newport Beach as high inundates (Balboa Peninsula, Newport Harbor, Corona del Mar), prompting road closures and warnings for coastal Orange County.”
HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of these videos.
Why Newport Beach, Balboa Peninsula flooded?
The flooding caught many off-guard. “Everybody got caught off guard,” Orange County Board Vice Chair Katrina Foley told City News Service. “We didn’t expect the swell to hit this early. We’ve been in the planning stages for the past few weeks, but this hit a little earlier because of Hurricane Rachel. We had already planned to do some sand replenishment at Capo Beach, which we’re still planning to do on Tuesday,” the official added.
So, why did the flooding occur? Georgia Rios, a spokesperson for the city of Newport Beach told the Los Angeles Times “This swell was very unprecedented coming up that high. 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.”
Rios added “This is not even the worst that is expected. It’s forecast to get even worse on Sunday with rain.” Newport Beach Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic meanwhile, told ABC7 that the morning tide came in 20 inches higher the predicted numbers. “It’s significant. We’ve seen it be 12 inches higher, but this is, you know, kind of record-breaking for us,” he said.