High Tides Flooded Several Beaches In California

High tides are expected in California

(Mirror Daily, United States) – The waters have slipped past the edges, and high tides flooded several beaches in California though no major damage was reported. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), there were warnings for floods in Orange County and Los Angeles, along with several minor floods in Long Beach, Venice, Malibu, and Playa del Rey.

The potential events will continue until today, and possibly through the weekend, due to the very high tides called ‘King tides’. This phenomenon is caused by a certain coastal rhythm, when strong winds mix with already high tides. It leads to high-crashing surf against the coast, defined as the highest astronomical tide of the year.

For Tuesday, November 24^th, the NWS expected tides to grow around 6.8 feet, but were met with 8.1 feet heights, which led to unexpected floods in several areas.

On Thanksgiving Day, the tides were believed to reach around 7.3 feet at around 9:12 A.M.

According to the California Coastal Commission (CCC), these high tides are just the beginning consequences of global warming. What we view as “extremes” today will be the “normal” of tomorrow, according to Charles Lester from the CCC. Around Santa Monica beaches, the tides have slipped up to one feet higher than expected, to around 8 feet above normal sea level.

More currents will form along the coast, so the NWS warned that other areas could become affected. Right now, Orange County along with San Diego County are the most vulnerable targets and likely to be hit next throughout the weekend. Numerous parking lots around the beach or streets and structures could be underwater if the currents continue. The times, however, differ per each area.

Luckily though, the King tides by themselves are unlikely to cause major damage. So far, none have been reported. However, if they so happen to coincide with storms, it could cause powerful waves which could mean trouble for the population on the coast. They might slip even further into the shoreline.

These King tides are also expected to return between December 22^nd and December 24^th, as well as next year between January 21^st and January 22^nd. They will likely increase due to El Nino, which is expected to increase the amounts of rain across Southern California this year. It might be good news for drought-affected areas, but could potentially cause more troubles due to excessive floods.

Image source: mirror.co.uk

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John Birks

John holds a diploma in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He covers the technology, social media, green business, eco-travel, politics, arts culture.