Newport Beach girded for more damage from tidal surges associated with Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel Sunday, with a line of berms on the sand in place to protect homes from pounding waves.
The Newport Pier, Balboa Pier and the Wedge (rock jetty to M Street) were temporarily closed for public safety and to prevent damage to the protective sand berms.
“Individuals climbing on the sand berms can compromise the berms’ structural integrity and reduce their effectiveness in protecting nearby homes and infrastructure from coastal flooding,” officials said.
A local emergency was declared after coastal flooding that inundated streets on the Balboa Peninsula, with officials warning that high surf and elevated tides could cause additional flooding through the weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning Friday afternoon for Orange County beaches through at least 3 p.m. Sunday, warning of potentially significant flooding and beach erosion. Forecasters said the greatest threat would occur Sunday morning, when increased ocean swells, strong onshore winds and high tides exceeding 7 feet could combine to produce dangerous coastal conditions.
Forecasters said most of the rain and stronger winds associated with Rachel shifted east of the area Sunday morning, though minor to moderate coastal flooding concerns will likely continue during the next few days near times of high tide, especially near Sunday morning’s high tide.
Higher-than-normal surf and elevated ocean water levels associated with Rachel began flooding streets on the Balboa Peninsula on Thursday night.
“Everybody got caught off guard,” Orange County Board Vice Chair Katrina Foley told City News Service. “We didn’t expect the swell to hit this early. We’ve been in the planning stages for the past few weeks, but this hit a little earlier because of Hurricane Rachel. We had already planned to do some sand replenishment at Capo Beach, which we’re still planning to do on Tuesday.”
City Manager Seimone Jurjis, acting as the city’s director of emergency services, issued the emergency declaration Friday to help Newport Beach obtain additional resources to protect public and private property.
Foley said her office helped get 10,000 sandbags to the city Friday morning, and another 20,000 were delivered later. She said neighboring Costa Mesa also contributed sandbags.
Prefilled sandbags were available at City Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave.; Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd., and Fire Station No. 1 (Temporary Station), East Ocean Front Parking Lot, near Balboa Pier.
Empty sandbags were available at Benjamin M. Carlson Lifeguard Headquarters, 70 Newport Pier.
“I’ve been on the phone with the Coastal Commission to try to help get support for Beach Row residents,” Foley said. “We’ve also reached out to building trades to see if they can help with labor and equipment.”
Orange County Public Works crews were on hand to help, and Foley said she also appealed to the governor’s office for assistance from the conservation corps or National Guard.
“We’re all hands on deck,” she said.
The city urged residents and motorists to avoid the Peninsula, where streets have been flooded, and warned that continued high surf and elevated tides could worsen conditions.
Six city crews worked Friday to rebuild protective sand berms along the shoreline, while additional teams operated pumps and opened tide valves to drain flooded streets, according to city officials. 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. The weather service warned that numerous roads and walking paths could be closed by flooding, with low-lying homes, businesses and some critical infrastructure at risk of inundation.
Shoreline erosion is also expected during morning high tides, while increased surf will create a high risk of dangerous rip currents.
A beach hazards statement was in effect through Sunday evening, with surf of 5 to 7 feet and local sets reaching 9 feet, according to the weather service. After the coastal flood warning expires at 3 p.m. Sunday, a coastal flood advisory will remain in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday, with minor coastal flooding still expected.
Residents in waterfront and flood-prone neighborhoods were encouraged to protect their properties with sandbags or temporary barriers, clear debris from gutters and drainage areas when safe to do so and move vehicles away from areas vulnerable to flooding. City officials emphasized that flood mitigation efforts cannot eliminate all risks and urged residents to avoid walking or driving through flooded streets.
The weather service also urged motorists not to drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
Newport Beach maintains a network of 86 tidal valves designed to prevent rising ocean water from backing up through storm drains, along with 18 pumps used to remove standing water from streets near the harbor.
The city has previously identified the Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island, Newport Island and other low-lying harborfront neighborhoods as areas particularly vulnerable to flooding during unusually high tides.
“This is the worst I’ve seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula,” City Councilman Joe Stapleton told the Los Angeles Times.
Another man who said he bought his beachfront home 27 years ago told the newspaper, “I haven’t seen one drop of water on that sand in 27 years. All the sand, not one drop of water. We all love living on this oceanfront. But, boy, it makes you think twice.”
Newport Beach residents were encouraged to monitor official city communications and register for Newport Notified emergency alerts at NBPD.org. Residents seeking additional information about sandbags and flood protection can contact the city’s Municipal Operations Department at 949-644-3055.