One inch of water makes a big difference.
Less saltwater flowed into streets across Newport and Surfside in Huntington Beach mid-morning on Wednesday, Oct. 28, as tide levels are inching lower for the rest of the week from the record highs recorded a day earlier.
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Tide charts were showing predicted tides at 6 feet, 4 inches, but measurements from Newport Harbor were showing levels at 8 feet, 3 inches, the added height pushing water over low seawalls in recent days.
The extra water has caused big trouble in low-lying coastal towns the past few days, where harbor water has spilled over low seawalls and flooded into streets, homes and businesses.
City crews have been working around the clock to figure out trouble areas, placing stacks of sandbags along harbor homes, docks and public walkways, while pumps are running when water reaches streets to put it back to where it came from.
Newport utility director Mark Vukojevic said the tides were measured at 8 feet, 3 inches in the Newport Harbor, just one inch lower than a day earlier, a record high for the beach town since it started keeping records in the 20s.
There was some ponding, he said, but no flooding that he was aware of, he said.
Resident Bill Sharp, who has been tracking the flooding throughout town for the past few days, was checking out the trouble spots like Newport Harbor Yacht Club and the Fun Zone, and an area by the Cannery that flooded a day earlier, saying those areas didn’t have flooding Wednesday morning.
“It seems like the city has generally plugged up most of the leaks,” Sharp said, noting there was some pooling of water where the ramp lets people onto the Balboa Ferry, which was only transporting people, not cars, for the morning hours. “It seems like the worst has passed.”
Balboa Ferry operator Seymour Beek, whose family has owned the service since 1919, said that while cars had to use an alternate route instead of crossing the harbor because they had sandbags put down, pedestrians and bicyclists were still able to use the service that transports passengers from Balboa Island to Balboa Peninsula.
“There was some inconvenience, a nuisance and a loss of revenue,” he said. “And did I mention the helicopters? More annoying than the flooding was the news helicopters.”
Twenty-one notices of violations and two $200 citations were handed out to homeowners in flood-prone areas to protect private residences and infrastructure, said Georgia Rios, spokesperson for Newport Beach.
Some of the homes flooded with seawater saw water coming in from neighbors’ homes where not enough sandbags were put up to protect against the sea.
The notices were issued “to get ahead of it so it didn’t become a larger issue,” Rios said.
“We’re taking a holistic view of the community; we’re all trying to do our best to protect people’s homes, infrastructure, the streets people are driving on for public safety, really with the goal of keeping everyone safe, their homes safe and making sure everyone is doing their job,” she said.
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The city, which has given out more than 20,000 sandbags, has more available to anyone who wants them, she noted.
Up the coast in Huntington Beach, bay water continued to get into the streets on Wednesday, but less than the previous day, said city spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla.
Huntington Beach has taken a coordinated, multi-department approach to prepare for and respond to elevated tides and coastal flooding affecting Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach over the past several days, she said.
City personnel have worked around the clock to protect residents, respond to emergencies, maintain critical infrastructure, and assess impacts as conditions evolve, she noted.
The city hosted a community information meeting, with an estimated 150 people, to share anticipated conditions, explain preparedness measures, and answer residents’ questions. Another 200 people viewed it online.
During the flooding, the city consistently deployed approximately 50 public safety personnel to support response operations and established a mobile command center to coordinate emergency response in affected areas.
Drones were used to monitor conditions, and boats patrolled Huntington Harbour to assist residents and direct traffic in affected areas. Three rescue boats and a personal watercraft were deployed to support flood response operations.
Teams assisted residents in flooded areas, conducted water rescues, and helped extract people from vehicles and properties. Other safety hazards, such as shutting off power during emergencies, were mitigated.
HB Public Works crews of about 28 people worked overnight and daytime operations, raising protective barriers, filling and placing sandbags, and delivering additional sand. The city deployed pumps and operated vacuum trucks to clear storm drains and help reopen flooded roads.
“These efforts helped reduce potential flooding impacts, protect neighborhoods, maintain access, and support emergency response operations under challenging conditions,” she said.
Pacific Coast Highway was fully closed Wednesday from Seapoint Street to Seal Beach Blvd, and the same is expected Thursday while the area experiences higher than normal tides, said Caltrans spokesperson Christianne Smith.
Drainage bladders remain in place, and our crews continue to empty the water into the sea, she noted.
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