Southern California flooding has swamped homes, businesses and roads as record-breaking high tides hit coastal communities, with the Pacific Coast Highway inundated in parts of Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach.
The so-called king tide reached 8ft 2in in the Los Angeles Harbor on Tuesday, surpassing a record set only a day earlier. Residents reported seawater rising through storm drains as the unusually high tide spread across low-lying areas.
King tides flood Southern California coast
Images from the affected coastline showed water covering the Pacific Coast Highway, while people used paddleboards in floodwater near homes and businesses in Sunset Beach. In Long Beach, workers repaired a damaged boardwalk seawall beside a protective sand berm.
Linda Holle, who works at a marine fuelling station in Newport Beach, said her office had flooded. She told CBS News she had never seen flooding like it.
The king tide is linked to the full moon and is the highest tide of the year. Experts have warned that similar tides expected in November and December could be worse.
If a future king tide coincides with a winter storm and pounding surf, it could cause significant problems along the Southern California coast.
