Coastal flooding from record high tides continues to cause damage in Mission Bay and other low-lying coastal areas in San Diego, but it may be a sign of what’s to come.
Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service show that tides are approaching record highs at some San Diego beaches. With El Niño bringing higher sea levels and strong storms, some scientists are expecting record-breaking weather this winter.
Seawater broke through the city’s sand berm along Bayside Walk on Monday, Oct. 26, flooding the yard of Mission Bay Puppy Rescue. Jackie Nipper, who founded the organization 30 years ago, said the berm outside her bayfront property has never been this tall before.
“The berm has always been there, but it’s never been this high,” Nipper said. “That’s always been plenty to hold it, for all the years we’ve been here. But a break, with all that water behind it, was a flash flood yesterday.”
The flooding came amid unusually high water levels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tide gauge at Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego recorded a peak of 8.52 feet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 — more than a foot above predictions.
Nipper credited the storm drain system, built in the 1990s, with protecting her home from extensive flooding.
“It runs to the pump house, which can pump it back out into the bay. Before that, the alleys flooded,” she said. “If we didn’t have that pump, or it stopped working, it would have been catastrophic,” she said.
The Santa Clara Place pump can make the difference between manageable flooding and catastrophic damage, Nipper said. Near El Carmel Point, residents struggled to drain water from flooded alleys fast enough on Monday.
Nipper is concerned that higher tides and winter storms could bring more flooding in the coming months, particularly around the holidays.
Mark Merrifield, a physical oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and director of UC San Diego’s Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, said the timing of natural tidal cycles could compound the risks. The 18.6-year lunar nodal cycle and 4.4-year lunar perigee cycle are near their peaks this year, he said, potentially causing exceptionally high king tides around Christmas.
“That means that around Christmas time, California will see some very strong king tides that will superimpose on the high sea levels caused by El Niño,” Merrifield said.
Some residents didn’t have to wait for holiday flooding to disrupt their day. Jimmy Sundstrom, a history and writing student at Point Loma Nazarene University, said his car stalled after he attempted to drive through floodwaters on his way to class Monday morning.
Sundstrom said he turned off Ingraham Street toward Sunset Cliffs Boulevard around 10:15 a.m. and encountered a stretch of flooded roadway.
“I encountered a roadblock of flooding. I thought my car would be able to make it through, so I decided to try driving through it,” Sundstrom said. “I almost reached the end when the car stalled out and died on me.”
Crews closed the road after Sundstrom’s car became stranded. While waiting for roadside assistance, he tried to find the source of the floodwater. Since the surrounding area was completely dry, he assumed it poured out of nearby drainage pipes.
Brian Nguyen, who traveled through the same water around 9 a.m., joined Sundstrom. The two inspected seashells brought with the water, concluding that the flooding was seawater that must have come up from the stormwater system below.
More rain could complicate conditions later this week. AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff said Southern California could see cooler temperatures and rain over Halloween weekend.
“Halloween weekend is shaping up to be a bit of a trick for Southern California, where cooler temperatures and rain are expected on Saturday,” Duff said. “Families heading out for trick-or-treating should be ready for a damp evening and dress in layers to stay comfortable while enjoying the holiday.”
