...
By Joe Edwards
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Several records have been broken in California over the weekend after the region experienced a king tide event.
Parts of the state had been issued flood-related alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) as forecasters cautioned that high tides threatened coastal flooding.
The agency said in a Saturday post on X that several sites around the San Francisco Bay Area saw record tides, with Redwood City, Richmond and Martinez recording 2.7 feet, 2.67 feet and 2.46 respectively.
Read More on News
San Francisco saw 2.56 feet—the highest since 1998 and the fourth highest on record, according to the NWS.
...
Point Reyes saw 2.73 feet, which the NWS also said was the highest since 1998 and the third highest on record.
"Over the past weekend, California coastal communities, particularly around Humboldt Bay, experienced exceptionally high and record-breaking tides largely due to a convergence of natural tidal forces and weather influences," AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham told Newsweek on Monday.
"Higher astronomical tides were already forecast for the region, and persistent strong winds helped push water farther inland, contributing to water levels that broke local records," Buckingham said. "These elevated tides were part of king tide conditions, which occur when the gravitational pull of the moon and sun align and are strongest, typically around early January when the Earth is closest to the sun, naturally raising tidal extremes."
Buckingham said that when such high tides align with stormy weather and wind-driven surge, sea levels can rise beyond forecasts, triggering flooding and record tide events like those seen this weekend.
As of early Monday, coastal flood advisories are in effect until 3 p.m. PST for parts of San Francisco adjacent to San Francisco Bay and other areas adjacent to San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, where the NWS is cautioning that flooding of lots, parks and roads is expected.
...
Inundation up to 1.2 feet above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and along tidal waterways, the NWS said.
"If travel is required, allow extra time as some roads may be closed. Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth," the advisories read. "Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property."
An additional coastal flood advisory is in place for the northern Humboldt Coast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST Monday, with the NWS warning that high astronomical tides are expected to cause minor flooding in low lying areas around Humboldt Bay.
The National Ocean Service describes king tides as "a popular, non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides."
"King tides are not unusual in the winter in California, as they typically occur twice a year and peak in the winter," AccuWeather meteorologist Kai Kerkow previously told Newsweek.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines