Weather Service Extends Flood Advisories Across Southern California Coast

The National Weather Service extended flood advisories for all coastal counties in Southern California through 2 p.m. Friday.

Meteorologist Devin Black confirmed the extension on Wednesday, noting that the original warnings were scheduled to expire at 1 p.m. Thursday. The agency is monitoring unusually high tides that have inundated low-lying areas in cities such as Newport Beach and Long Beach. Black stated that reports indicate seawater has covered low-lying zones and that some structures have shallow water at their bases.

Orange and San Diego counties face a shift in their alert status. These two counties were under more severe flood warnings through Thursday afternoon. The Weather Service will downgrade their status to a coastal advisory for the remainder of the period, lasting through Friday afternoon. Black explained that the risk was higher in these specific counties because their geography makes them more exposed to southwesterly swells.

Long Beach has been the primary area of concern for several weeks, according to Black. Tides in the region are expected to peak near 8 feet on Thursday morning before gradually receding over the weekend. Black described the recent tidal levels as being on the extreme end of the spectrum. The San Pedro tide gauge recorded a height of 8.02 feet on Monday morning, surpassing the previous record of 7.93 feet set in January 2005. Other gauges, including one in La Jolla, also approached record levels.

The current flooding serves as a precursor to anticipated winter weather patterns. Even higher tides are projected around the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day holidays. These annual events, known locally as king tides, typically draw significant attention from residents and officials. A separate weather system is expected to move over the region on Saturday and Sunday, potentially bringing rain to Los Angeles.