Southern California’s coastline is running out of sand to sacrifice. Things are getting dire out there. And now, the ocean is coming for the houses.
In a new video, Chris Monroe, aka BEEFS T.V., documents another extraordinary round of coastal punishment, with waves exploding against Laguna Beach’s multimillion-dollar oceanfront properties and flooding overtaking streets in nearby Newport Beach.
Laguna Beach surfer Blair Conklin joins the spectacle, while his separate footage chronicles the continuing battle between the Pacific and California’s increasingly vulnerable shoreline. Check out the carnage below.
Monroe’s latest edit also features surfers getting barreled at the Wedge. Apparently, one person’s coastal nightmare is another’s dream session.
“The water level’s way higher than these houses,” a baffled BEEFS stated. “The boat ramps go up… this is historic. Houston, we have a problem.”
But the destruction is no laughing matter.
Laguna Beach previously declared a local emergency after hurricane-generated surf stripped beaches of protective sand and damaged seawalls. Six homes along Ocean Way and Lagunita Drive were yellow-tagged.
Now, exceptionally high tides are compounding the damage.
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning through Thursday, October 29, cautioning that “low lying property including homes, businesses, and some critical infrastructure will be inundated.”
The agency reported actual water levels running 1.5 to 1.7 feet above astronomical predictions.
Why so high?
Related: Watch: Seawall Collapses at Iconic SoCal Hotel Amid Massive Surf
For starters, the El Niño-associated Kelvin wave. These enormous, nearly invisible ocean pulses travel thousands of miles, temporarily raising coastal sea levels.
According to NOAA, Kelvin waves can add “6–12 inches” to background water levels, amplifying the impact of exceptionally high tides.
Then come the tides themselves. Often called king tides, these unusually high astronomical tides occur when gravitational forces combine to produce exceptional water levels. California’s official king-tide observation dates begin in November, but this week’s tides are already approaching records.
In Newport Beach, Monday’s adjusted high tide reached 8.3 feet, with Tuesday’s expected to reach 8.5 feet.
And the Pacific isn’t finished.
More astronomical high tides are expected around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January. Add another powerful swell, and things could get considerably worse.
For beachfront homeowners, the oceanfront views are suddenly a little too close for comfort.
Stay tuned; more King Tide, El Niño chaos on the way.
Related: ‘Second Arm’ Super El Niño Surges Toward What Could Be the Strongest in 1,000 Years
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