Surfers may still be recovering from Southern California’s recent run of historic swell. But the coast also took a beating from all the waves, with erosion seen across the region. And now, another force of nature is amplifying the damage: King Tides.
Over the past several days, videos from Capistrano Beach in Dana Point have shown powerful waves slamming directly into oceanfront homes worth millions of dollars.
In some clips, seawalls disappear beneath surging water while waves crash against decks, patios, and foundations. Combined with elevated surf from the recent swell, the unusually high tides have transformed normally tranquil stretches of coastline into front-row seats for nature’s fury.
King Tides are the highest astronomical tides of the year. They occur when the sun, moon, and Earth align in a way that maximizes their combined gravitational pull, temporarily producing exceptionally high high tides and exceptionally low low tides.
While the phenomenon is completely natural, King Tides can exacerbate coastal flooding, erosion, and wave impacts when they coincide with large surf events—as Southern California is experiencing right now.
Related: Historic SoCal Swell Rips Away Beaches and Topples Lifeguard Tower (Video)
The effects have been felt beyond Dana Point. In Long Beach, elevated water levels flooded portions of the shoreline and caused localized coastal damage as waves pushed farther inland than normal. Across the region, beaches that had already been stripped of sand by the recent swell found themselves even more vulnerable to the ocean’s reach.
For surfers, Capistrano Beach carries a rich history. The neighborhood was once home to surfboard pioneer Hobie Alter and legendary surfer Philip “Flippy” Hoffman, two figures whose influence helped shape modern California surfing. Their backyard playground was the same coastline now being battered by waves and tides working in tandem.
A history of the aptly-named Beach Road, which parallels Poche Beach, notes:
“The stories of those days remain as well when Poche was the unofficial social club, think tank, and surf spot for legendary big wave surfers Walter and Philip ‘Flippy’ Hoffman, filmmaker, Bruce Brown, surfboard foam inventor Gordon ‘Grubby’ Clark ( a former turnaround resident), world famous surfer and surfboard designer Hobie Alter (for many years a resident) and Surfer magazine editor Pat McNulty…
“In fact, it was right at Poche that Hobie Alter and pals spent countless hours testing, redesigning and perfecting the Hobie Cat, which would become the world’s most popular sport sailboat.”
The good news for homeowners is that King Tides are temporary. Current forecasts show the highest tides easing after the next few days, with the event expected to diminish by the end of the week. Until then, Southern California’s coastline remains on high alert as swell, tides, and erosion continue to reshape the shore. Batten down the hatches.
Related: 20ft Swell Slams SoCal Harbor Creating Rare Wave for Surfers (Video)
Original Post from this site