Huntington Beach residents prepare for more El Niño high tides
It was a packed house in Huntington Beach on Thursday night as residents showed up at a meeting to learn how to best prepare their homes for more damaging El Niño-driven high tides during the holiday season.
"I'm not gonna put up my Christmas tree, and I'm gonna find a place to live because it's going to be higher," Sunset Beach resident Karen Rauh said.
Rauh said she had so much water in her home during the last high tide at the end of October that her cabinets grew mold and needed to be ripped out.
"Not much we can do — Mother Nature," she said. "At least I can swim."
It's tough for residents to stay positive when the city explained the emergency preparations they're throwing at the next high-tide events.
"We're going to have double the amount of swift water rescue techs with our marine safety folks ready to respond," said Darren Witt, deputy chief of operations at the Huntington Beach Fire Department. "We're also reaching out to some of our partners across the county for help."
Deputy Director of Public Works John Paler said construction crews are also taking measures.
"We are actively raising city-owned bulkheads by an additional two sandbag rows to a total of four sandbags high, and equivalent of approximately 10-feet above sea level," he said.
Huntington Beach FD said they had to create its own flood map to help residents prepare because one did not exist.
"The red, tan and orange are low-lying areas," Witt said.
The low-lying areas in red are where firefighters believe flooding will be worst in the future. Public Works told people that sandbags alone will not work moving forward.
"Sandbags are useful, but they are not watertight," Paler said.
Taking a cue from the last high tide, properties that will perform better will have multiple layers of defense.
"That included reinforced barriers, plastic and waterproof tape at garage openings, attention to low points and coordination with neighboring properties," Paler said.
