The California coast's great enemy: Record-hot ocean temperatures from El Niño

Key Points:

• Southern California coastal communities, including Newport Beach and Sunset Beach, are experiencing unprecedented flooding due to record-high sea levels, with San Pedro reaching over 8 feet at high tide, breaking previous records.
• Scientists attribute the flooding to unusually warm ocean waters caused by a strong El Niño event combined with long-term ocean warming, leading to thermal expansion that raises sea levels nearly 2 feet above normal astronomical tides.
• The current El Niño, described as potentially as strong or stronger than the damaging 1997 event, is intensifying sea surface temperatures by up to 9 degrees above average, exacerbating coastal flooding risks.
• Additional factors worsening flooding include the arrival of a Kelvin wave bringing warm water along the coast and the coincidence of high tides driven by lunar cycles expected to peak around upcoming holidays, raising concerns about even more severe flooding if storms coincide.
• Experts had predicted these conditions months ago, warning that the winter season would likely see the highest sea levels ever recorded along the California coast, posing significant challenges for infrastructure and coastal communities.