Second day of potentially record-breaking king tides expected to batter Southern California coastal communities
People in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach say they've grown up in this part of town, and they've never seen flooding this bad. They've put sandbags around their homes and businesses, hoping that will prevent more water from getting in pm Tuesday.
Aerial footage of Sunset Beach and Huntington on Monday showed people wading through the water, trying to push it out of their homes and garages. Several homes along Bayview Drive were flooded and even parts of Pacific Coast Highway were affected.
The National Weather Service is warning that conditions on Tuesday could be even worse. Peak tides were expected to be between 9:45 and 10:45 a.m. and were expected to reach up to 8 feet.
A coastal flooding advisory will be in effect until 1 p.m. on Thursday for Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches, including the Malibu coast. Minor to moderate flooding is expected in most low-lying areas.
Part of PCH is closed in Huntington Beach on Tuesday as a precaution from Warner Avenue to Anderson Street until noon.
Drivers are being asked to plan ahead for road closures. Officials are asking people to avoid taking any chances and getting suck in deep water. Free sandbags are still available at several locations around the city for homeowners.
In Long Beach, the Alamitos Bay spilled over, flooding 54th Street, flowing toward homes, into nearby businesses, parking lots and into a garage that was below sea level.
Annie Koury said she's lived in the area for more than 30 years and has never seen the bay flood like this — and that the city usually does more to protect the area.
"I'm not very happy, but we know that there's a lot going on in the peninsula, but the city seems to have their hands tied but now it's come to their attention," Koury said.
On the peninsula, the dredge continues to pump out sand from the channel onto the beach. The project that started last week has made a big impact so far, restoring some of the sand lost over three consecutive storms.
