Record sea levels driven by an unusual combination of high tides, El Niño, and a Kelvin wave inundated coastal neighborhoods, roads, and businesses from Long Beach down to San Diego on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Tuesday’s morning tide peaked significantly higher than standard forecasts, with water levels measuring nearly two feet higher than predicted. The surge breached seawalls, filled intersections, and forced the closure of key thoroughfares such as the Pacific Coast Highway.
In Newport Beach, a yellow tidal gauge in the harbor recorded water hitting the 8-foot mark at 9 a.m., well above the normal expected peak of 6.6 feet. City officials reported that tidal levels reached a record 8.4 feet, levels not seen since the 1920s. The rising water breached the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s boatyard and flooded streets near 8th Street and West Bay Avenue, where pumps worked continuously to clear standing water. The iconic Pirate House at 35th Street and Marcus Avenue saw its ground floor completely flooded, drawing neighborhood residents and onlookers to document the unusual event. Newport Beach Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic noted that water levels exceeded forecasts due to an unexpected overage, requiring round-the-clock municipal response.
Farther north in Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach, water spilled over low-lying barriers and filled streets throughout Huntington Harbour and Admiralty Island. The Pacific Coast Highway was closed between Warner Avenue and Seal Beach Boulevard during the morning to allow emergency crews and first responders maneuverability. Business owners along the coastal highway utilized heavy sandbagging to protect their storefronts. Sal Alvarez, owner of the local neighborhood establishment J King Neptunes, reported that despite ankle-deep water covering the parking lot and seeping into the property, the structure sustained no major damage and remained open for loyal patrons.
In Long Beach, municipal crews erected sand berms while homeowners along the Rivo Alto Canal on Naples Island deployed portable sump pumps to manage water filtering through cracks in aging seawalls. Longtime residents noted that the seawater infiltration was unprecedented for this time of year, raising concerns about structural vulnerabilities in the local seawalls ahead of the upcoming winter season and predicted holiday king tides. Similar flooding impacts were reported at Bayshore Beach and the Marine Stadium area.
Further south in Redondo Beach, significant flooding affected the International Boardwalk at the Redondo Pier despite preventive sandbagging. Meanwhile, coastal officials in San Clemente, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point reported relatively calm surf conditions that helped prevent more catastrophic wave damage, though leaders remain watchful for potential incoming weather systems later in the week.
