SoCal coast braces for more flooding as El Niño’s high tides break records – Los Angeles Times

SoCal coast braces for more flooding as El Niño’s high tides break records  Los Angeles Times

Southern California coastal communities are bracing for more flooding Thursday and Friday as El Niño conditions keep water levels very high. Unusually high tides that have brought flooding to low-lying areas in Southern California including Newport Beach and Long Beach may linger longer than initially predicted. The National Weather Service on Wednesday extended flood advisories for all of Southern California’s coastal counties through 2 p.m. Friday, said Devin Black, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Oxnard office. They originally were scheduled to expire Thursday at 1 p.m. Orange and San Diego counties, which were under a more severe flood warning through Thursday afternoon, will be downgraded to a coastal advisory through Friday afternoon.

The weather service has seen reports of “seawater over low-lying areas,” Black said, and “some structures have had shallow water up to the base of the building.” The Balboa area of Newport Beach has experienced widespread flooding this week. Another hard-hit area is Sunset Beach, where several streets have been flooded and Pacific Coast Highway is closed. Caltrans plans to close PCH for a portion of Thursday as well. On Thursday, Long Beach was most acutely affected and has been a main area of concern for weeks, Black said. Tides are expected to approach 8 feet Thursday morning, then gradually subside into the weekend. Some tides this