SoCal coast gets record-breaking tides and rising flood risks

Key Points:

• Southern California experienced coastal flooding from Newport Beach to Long Beach due to near-record or record-high sea levels, with streets and some businesses inundated by high tides on Monday morning.
• The San Pedro tide gauge set a new record at 8.02 feet, surpassing the previous high from 2005, and other locations like La Jolla also recorded near-record sea levels, with even higher tides expected through Thursday.
• Officials prepared by reinforcing beaches with sandbags and pumping out floodwaters, crediting community participation for minimizing widespread damage despite knee-high flooding in some areas.
• The extreme tides result from a rare combination of factors including El Niño-driven hurricane activity, a marine heat wave, and a rare astronomical alignment affecting tidal forces, with ocean temperatures significantly above average.
• Scientists warn that coastal flooding will likely worsen, especially during upcoming king tide events around major holidays, and could be exacerbated further if severe storms coincide with these high tides.