King tides set record with 1.5 inch rise in Newport Beach

Record high tides flooded streets, homes, and businesses along the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach on Monday.

City officials confirmed that the water level reached an inch and a half higher than any previous record. They warned that tides on Tuesday could be at least two inches higher than Monday's peak.

The surge, caused by king tides combined with a Kelvin wave phenomenon, sent ocean water into properties for the second time in two weeks. Carson Hill, a resident of Balboa Boulevard, said the water filled the entire first floor of the three-story home next to his.

Business owners faced immediate challenges as they tried to manage the influx. Jan Naval, who has owned Pizza Pete's for 16 years, described the rapid change in water levels. He arrived at the shop at 8:30 a.m. to find hardly any water. By 9:00 a.m., he said the area looked like a lake. A nearby resident observed Naval trying to remove the water with a Coca-Cola cup before he switched to other methods.

Defenses along the waterfront proved difficult to maintain. Hill, who also operates a boat service business, stated that the extreme tide compromised the sea wall. The water breached the initial sandbags, which then caused the flow to take out the remaining barriers. He noted that while the team is prepared for the high tide and Kelvin wave, stopping the water completely requires building up all sea walls.

City crews worked on Monday to fortify weak spots along the dock using tarps and additional sandbags. On the other side of the peninsula, workers constructed a large sand wall at The Wedge. Reece Waldron of T.E. Waldron Inc. said the team used a dozer and brought 108 loads of sand to build the barrier.

City leaders had warned ahead of the event that king tides are expected to continue into the new year. High tide was predicted again for Tuesday morning.