Newport Beach declares local emergency after coastal flooding on Balboa Peninsula
The city of Newport Beach declared a local emergency after ocean water surged onto streets and properties in the Balboa Peninsula community Friday.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flooding advisory that remains in place through Tuesday. A coastal flood warning expires at 3 p.m. Sunday.
City officials said during an evening news conference that crews will work through the night and into the weekend to rebuild sand berms as the threat of flooding continues.
"Our goal is to reinforce as many vulnerable locations as possible before the next high tide," said Newport Beach City Manager Seimone Jurjis.
Friday evening, residents near the water in Newport Beach took precautions.
"We are just going to fortify the entry to our home and then the back entry," said Josh Pham.
"It was honestly life threatening," Gary Winthrop said about the coastal flooding. "We were pretty scared it was going to come into the house. But thankfully we got sandbags pretty quick, all the neighbors were super supportive."
"We have some sandbags that we got from the city from the fire station," said April Witting. "A friend got extra; we are going to borrow some from him and fill it with sand."
Officials said the emergency response would continue through the weekend, with crews monitoring ocean conditions and deploying additional resources as needed. Temporary street closures and parking restrictions may be implemented if conditions worsen, according to the city.
"These Kelvin waves are real," Newport Beach City Councilmember Erik Weigand said. "It's not a wave like you would see with swell, but it's a tidal push, and we're projecting those to be 20 inches greater than what high tides projected."
Every high tide is expected to be higher than normal, especially at the south-facing beaches, like parts of Newport, Long Beach, Dana Point, and Laguna Beach.
Flooding risks are highest on Sunday, with tides likely 1 to 1 ½ feet above astronomical tide charts, according to NWS.
Aerial footage over the Balboa Peninsula showed people wading barefoot on sidewalks and streets, some knee-deep in rain boots and vehicles nearly half-submerged.
"Do not drive through flooded streets. Use alternate routes, exercise caution, and follow directions from public safety personnel," the city of Newport Beach wrote in a statement.
Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff Boyles advised the community not to drive, walk, or bike through the water, as some places along Balboa Boulevard are submerged in nearly 2 feet of water.
"We're prepared, and we already know that Sunday morning will likely be a little bit worse with the higher tide and larger swell expected," Boyles said. "We're experiencing some unprecedented flooding ..."
By the afternoon, the water had receded, leaving businesses to clean up. Gus Orozco of Balboa Fun Tours was busy cleaning saltwater off beach cruisers.
"All the water started rising little by little," he said. "By 10 o'clock the water was like a lake. The street was flooded, flooded like a lake."
It wasn't just business owners cleaning up; homeowners were, too. Musician Jennifer Trevour waded through chest-high water in her garage on West Balboa Boulevard to save her keyboard.
"All the stuff in the garage is holding me in, and I'm just like praying like I can get through it, and I push through," Trevour said. "I got the keyboard out, but nothing else."
Free Sandbags
The city is providing free sandbags at its Corporation Yard at 592 Superior Ave. This location will remain open overnight. Newport Beach police say Peninsula residents can also pick up sandbags at Marina Park. Lifeguards on the Balboa Peninsula also have sandbags available in their vehicles.
El Niño Website
Orange County launched a website today that provides residents with emergency information and resources related to El Niño. The website, ocgov.com/el-nino, serves as a central source for updates on the county's response to storm-related issues.
The site also includes links to local government resources and information about preparing for dangerous weather.
