Newport Beach prepares for high surf and coastal flooding ahead of Tropical Storm Marie

The city of Newport Beach is rushing to build berms on both sides of Balboa Pier to protect the land from potential impacts of Tropical Storm Marie.

Marie shifts from hurricane to storm by the time it makes landfall in North America. This weekend could see abnormally high humidity, rough surf and tropical rain, forecasters say.

Dueling excavators and Bobcats are trying to work faster than Mother Nature, building berms in the sand.

"We heard reports that it (Hurricane Marie) might turn towards us, but if it does turn towards us, we wanna make sure we're prepared for it," Zac Gentry, municipal operations director, said.

So, as a precaution, the city of Newport Beach started digging, bringing in not only city crews but also paying contractors to do what usually takes two weeks in just four days.

"Realistically, we're more worried about Sunday and Monday. We'll have additional crews here to make sure it's protected if anything goes on," Gentry said.

Hank Wiessner's Fun Zone Boat Cruises business is on the other side of the peninsula, and he knows what can happen when the waves hit the shore and break the berm.   

In 2020, king tides broke down the berm by the pier, flooding the parking lot, a dozen cars, and grounding a sailboat. That berm was 20 feet high and 6 feet wide. This time, the berm will be 20 feet high and 20 feet wide.

"We probably used 200,000 cubic yards, give or take," Gentry said.

Concern is also heightened as the biggest holiday weekends of the year lie ahead, leading to more swimmers and ocean recreators.

"It can sweep your feet out from under you and wipe you out to sea in a very short matter of time," Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said.

Lifeguards say look for the warning flags and stay close to the lifeguard towers, something the Williams family from Las Vegas is already doing.

"You know we do the best we can, we keep them nice and close and don't take our eyes off of them," Taylor Williams said as she watches her young children.

The berm usually takes two weeks to build, and the city is spending $20,000 to hire extra contractors to get it done in four days.