National Weather Service officials have extended coastal flood advisories across Southern California through Friday afternoon as unusually high tides continue to impact low-lying coastal communities. The advisories, which now cover all of Southern California’s coastal counties, were originally scheduled to expire Thursday afternoon.
Devin Black, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Oxnard office, reported that authorities have received numerous accounts of seawater flooding low-lying areas. According to Black, some structures have experienced shallow water reaching the base of their buildings. Long Beach has emerged as the most acutely affected location and has remained a primary area of concern over the past several weeks.
In addition to the broader advisories, Orange and San Diego counties had been placed under a more severe flood warning that remained in effect through Thursday afternoon before being downgraded to a coastal advisory alongside the rest of the region.
Tides were projected to approach eight feet on Thursday morning before gradually subsiding heading into the weekend. Several tide gauges across the region recorded extreme levels this week. Notably, the San Pedro tide gauge measured 8.02 feet on Monday morning, surpassing the previous record of 7.93 feet set in January 2005. Other gauges, including one located in La Jolla, also approached record levels.
While high tides affected the entire coastline, Black noted that the angle and magnitude of ocean swells played a significant role in the severity of the event. San Diego and Orange counties faced a heightened risk due to their greater exposure to a southwesterly swell.
Meteorologists warn that the current flooding conditions may serve as a preview for more severe water levels later this winter. Annual seasonal events known as king tides are anticipated around the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day holidays, bringing even higher water levels to the California coast.
Looking toward the weekend, a separate weather system is projected to move across the region on Saturday and Sunday, potentially bringing rainfall to the Los Angeles area.
