San Francisco Embarcadero Floods as Tides Peak 2 Feet Above Normal
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory for low-lying regions across the Bay Area on Tuesday.
Tides peaked at 2.1 feet above normal and are expected to reach above 1.9 feet above normal on Wednesday, according to the NWS Bay Area’s daily forecast discussion.
The worst flooding from the high tides is expected along bayshore Marin County, with NWS noting numerous reports of flooding coming in over the last few days.
Along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, residents stopped by caution tape to photograph the flooding, which forced the city to close part of the sidewalk and the bike lane.
Eric Young, a spokesperson for the Port of San Francisco, said the city is experiencing abnormally high tides due to the upcoming El Niño.
“What happens with El Niño is there’s a warming trend in the water,” Young said. “That leads to tides being a foot or more higher than they normally are on average at this time of year.”
Experts believe the upcoming El Niño will be historic, and likely to produce torrential downpours, flooding, temporarily elevated sea levels, severe thunderstorms and even isolated tornadoes this winter.
The port said it’s prepared to deploy barriers along low-lying areas, close traffic near the waterfront and pump out water when necessary. Last week, the city declared a local emergency in anticipation of heavy rain and flooding.
“We have a playbook for when stormwater or floods come into the sidewalk, come into the bike lane, or come into the traffic lanes,” Young said. “And we have ways to deal with that in our playbook that’s well established.”
The flooding comes as coastlines on both sides of the U.S. have been inundated by King tides. Officials in southern states like Florida and Georgia and in Southern California are warning of water over low-lying roads, possible sewage backups and severe beach erosion.
Young said the port has informed the various businesses along the waterfront that their operations could be affected due to severe weather.
The city has set up a website where residents can stay informed about the upcoming winter storms.