Powerful king tides battered Huntington Beach this week, damaging more than 100 structures, triggering evacuations and sending residents into cleanup mode ahead of another potentially dangerous surge expected next month.
The coastal flooding affected about 114 buildings, according to the city. Six homes received yellow tags, limiting access because officials identified safety hazards.
In one especially serious incident, saltwater reached a lithium-ion battery and ignited a fire inside a building.
The destruction prompted a major emergency operation, with city crews working to defend at-risk neighborhoods from the advancing seawater.
“In anticipation of the flooding, the City took proactive steps to protect our coastal communities, particularly Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour. We activated our Mobile Command Post and strategically deployed emergency response resources into areas expected to be impacted,” the city said Thursday.
The flooding was fueled largely by king tides, a natural phenomenon that occurs when the moon is closest to Earth and lines up with the sun during a new or full moon, creating exceptionally high tides.
The extreme water levels inundated more than beachfront properties and residential areas. On Tuesday, portions of Pacific Coast Highway were overwhelmed by floodwater.
Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions between Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. Orange County Metrolink also suspended service Monday between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside.
In Newport Beach, floodwater rose to knee level on residential streets and pushed into homes. Several drivers were left stranded after water partially submerged their vehicles.
Emergency crews used pumps and built sand berms as they fought to slow the rising water and strengthen exposed stretches of coastline against the pounding surf.
The latest flooding followed Tropical Storm Rachel, which swept through California only weeks ago, damaging homes and boardwalks. In Long Beach, powerful waves battered the city’s century-old boardwalk.
Newport Beach declared a local emergency on Oct. 9 after large swells and unusually high tides sent seawater across the Balboa Peninsula, stranding drivers and leaving vehicles partly underwater.
Experts warn that this week’s coastal damage could be an early indication of more powerful El Niño-driven storms expected to affect California this winter.
