King tides are headed to the Southern California coast after the area was slammed by recent storms.
King tides are headed to the Southern California coast after the area was slammed by recent storms.
“This particular week, we have some very high, high tides,” said Trevor McDonald, the Marine Safety Division chief in Huntington Beach. “If you have the king tide and the rain all at the same time, it can increase the amount of water that we’re seeing and that we’ll need to outflow and move out.”
McDonald says preparations for the exceptionally high tides expected Friday and Saturday morning are underway.
“We’re having lifeguards report early. We’re watching all these conditions as they’re happening. We’re communicating with public works, and essentially, we’ll be able to rebuild those berms as needed,” he said.
King tides caused minor flooding in Seal Beach back in November.
King tides can cause dramatic shoreline changes, flooding in low-lying coastal areas, and bring strong swells and currents with them, affecting everything from roads along the water to when and where you should walk on the beach.’
“They have the potential for strong surges that are pushing up past previous high tide lines. So you can see those surges, and as the water retreats back into the ocean, it can cause some hazardous areas,” McDonald said.
McDonald’s advice? Check in with a lifeguard.
“They’re going to educate everybody that comes down here and let them know where the safest spot to swim is, where the safest spot to recreate is, where’s the safest spot to take beach walks, any of those things,” he said.
Once the king tides decrease slightly on Sunday, McDonald says that’s when there will be an increase in the surf. Waves near the Huntington Beach pier are expected to be between four and six feet, and up to eight feet in other areas.
“We’re going to see surf out of the west, northwest in the four-to-six-foot range, short interval wind swell, and so, that has the potential to impact the high tides a little bit as well,” he said.