Newport Beach and Long Beach race to clean up flood damage before the next wave of high tides hits the SoCal coast

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — High tides moved toward Southern California’s coastal communities Monday morning, flooding streets and businesses in areas already affected in recent months.

High tides, expected to last until Thursday, are expected to break records, increasing the risk of flooding, beach erosion and property damage.

Authorities say Tuesday morning’s high tide is expected to reach peak levels, with waters expected to rise even higher than Monday.

Newport Beach hit by new coastal flooding

Morning tides arrived around 9 a.m., creeping into the streets of Newport Beach and flooding some businesses. AIR7 was above the area as water came in, forcing cars and people to wade through the floodwaters.

The Balboa Fun Zone was hardest hit by flooding, despite sandbags being placed in the area before high tide. The water entered from the bay side of the peninsula, meaning sand berms erected on the ocean side of the peninsula prevented even more water from entering.

Officials said Monday morning’s high tide was about 8.3 feet, more than a foot higher than expected. A tide of 8.5 feet is expected to move in Tuesday.

High tide floods part of Long Beach

A similar situation has occurred in Long Beach, where homes have been red-tagged in recent weeks due to flooding and damage from high waves and high tide.

At Bayshore Beach, the tide flowed through the sand berms and 54th Place toward waterfront homes and businesses like the Grill ‘Em All restaurant.

Meanwhile, water filled a garage located below sea level, also flooding a fully restored 1968 Volkswagen Beetle that was parked inside.

“All of a sudden this water came in, I went to open the car and water started coming into the car. So I just closed the door,” Annie Koury said.

On the other side of the peninsula, the already damaged boardwalk seemed spared further damage.

More high tides expected

Morning tides ranging from 7.5 to 8 feet are expected along the Los Angeles County coast, according to the National Weather Service.

“The period Monday through Wednesday could produce the highest level on record,” according to the NWS.

Forecasters said the tides could challenge the record at San Pedro, where a high tide of 7.93 feet was recorded on Jan. 10, 2005. Records at that location date back to 1924.

A coastal flood warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. Thursday for the entire Orange County coastline. A coastal flood advisory covering the Los Angeles County coastline also remains in effect until 1 p.m. Thursday.

The Long Beach, Malibu and Newport Beach areas have already suffered significant damage to homes from high waves in recent weeks.

Forecasters said tides are about 1 to 1.7 feet above forecast in Orange County and about 1 to 1.5 feet above forecast along the Los Angeles County coast.

Minor coastal flooding is likely in vulnerable low-lying areas, including harbor walkways, beach parking lots, bike paths and normally sandy beaches, according to the weather service.

More flooding and damage is possible in areas where little or no sandy beach remains or where previous high tides have already caused problems.

Huntington Beach to close PCH

Huntington Beach will close a section of Pacific Coast Highway on Tuesday ahead of expected high tides, the city announced Monday afternoon.

“As a precaution and to ensure the safety of everyone on the road, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) will be closed between Warner Ave and Anderson St from 8:00 a.m. to noon tomorrow,” the city said in a post on X.

The city urged residents to prepare before high tides, adding that sand and sandbags are available at the following locations:

• City Corporate Yard: 17371 Gothard Street — Open until Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Edison Community Center: 21377 Magnolia Street — Available 24/7

• Warner Fire Station: 3831 Warner Avenue — Available 24/7

City New Service contributed to this report.