Coastal flooding damaged homes and covered roads this week from Newport Beach to Long Beach as Tropical Storm Rachel approached Southern California. Scientists linked the flooding to an unusual mix of high tides, a Kelvin wave, storm-driven swells and unusually warm ocean water.
Long Beach ordered some Peninsula residents to evacuate, while Newport Beach temporarily closed its beaches and piers. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for beaches in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties through Sunday. Its San Diego office said the greatest flooding risk along the Orange and San Diego county coasts was expected Sunday morning, when swells, onshore winds and high tides would coincide.
Jonathan Warrick, a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, said similar events could become more common during an El Niño winter, though he cautioned that the outlook was uncertain. He also warned that rising sea levels could increase the frequency of such flooding in the coming decades.
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