The City of Newport Beach issued a press release on Friday, Oct. 9, declaring a local emergency and urging residents to take precautions to protect their homes and property as potentially hazardous conditions continue throughout the weekend.
Higher-than-normal surf contributed to street flooding along the Balboa Peninsula.
Saturday morning, the City of Newport Beach announced that due to ongoing flooding, all city beaches and piers are closed until further notice and instructed the public to stay away from these areas.
During a news conference Friday evening, Mayor Lauren Kleimen said, “Newport Beach experienced significant coastal flooding overnight as Tropical Storm Rachel brought elevated surf and unusually high ocean water levels to our coastline. We saw significant flooding along portions of the Balboa Peninsula, and unfortunately, these conditions are not behind us. We expect additional high surf and elevated tides tonight and throughout the weekend. With the highest tides expected this coming Sunday, City Manager Seimone Jurjis, acting as the city’s director of emergency services, initiated a declaration of local emergency. This declaration will help the city secure additional resources and coordinate with regional partners as we respond to these conditions. Our priority is the safety of our residents and visitors, protecting homes, businesses, and public infrastructure.”
“City crews have been working throughout the day, and that work will continue well into the evening,” said Jurjis. “Right now, we have city staff members and contractors utilizing heavy equipment to rebuild and reinforce protective sand berms along our beaches. We are expecting additional personnel and equipment from our contractors and potentially other public agencies as we put out the request for mutual aid. Our goal is to reinforce as many vulnerable locations as possible before the next high tide. We are prioritizing the areas at greatest risk, and will continue working through the evening and into the weekend.”
Beyond the beach, Jurjis said that crews are operating pumps, opening tide valves, and taking additional measures to reduce street flooding.
“One of our biggest challenges is that the ocean water levels remain unusually high even during the low tide,” said Jurjis. “That limits how quickly water can drain from the streets, and tomorrow morning’s high tide is forecast to be approximately three inches higher than we have experienced today. We’ve been working all day to prepare and mitigate as much as possible.”
Jurjis said sandbags are available to residents at Marina Park, and lifeguards will also have sandbags in their vehicles and at the lifeguard headquarters.
“While our crews are doing everything possible to reduce flooding, these measures cannot eliminate every risk,” stated Jurjis. “I also want to emphasize the importance of personal safety. Areas of beaches have experienced significant erosion. We are operating heavy equipment on the beaches as we shore up berms. Please stay away from those areas as they are dangerous. Please stay out of the ocean and follow all directions from our lifeguards. I also implore drivers to avoid flooded streets and respect road closures. Not only is it unsafe to drive a vehicle through a flooded roadway, the waves cars create pushes water towards properties that line the streets. Further, keeping these areas uncongested gives our emergency crews room to work and maneuver.”
Residents, particularly those along the waterfront and in flood-prone neighborhoods, are encouraged to take the following precautions:
- Use sandbags or temporary barriers to help protect vulnerable areas.
- Clear debris from private gutters and drainage areas, where it is safe to do so.
- Move vehicles away from flood-prone areas.
- Avoid walking or driving through flooded streets.
Free, prefilled sandbags are available at the City’s Corporation Yard, 592 Superior Ave. Empty sandbags are also available at all Newport Beach fire stations. Availability is subject to on-hand supplies.
The City will continue to monitor coastal conditions and coordinate response efforts throughout the weekend. Residents and property owners are encouraged to take appropriate precautions to protect their homes and property as coastal flooding may occur despite ongoing City mitigation efforts.
Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official City communications and register for Newport Notified emergency alerts at NBPD.org. In the event of an immediate threat to life or safety, call 911.
The Sunday, Oct. 11 concert at Marina Park originally scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. featuring Diego’s Garage has been canceled due to weather-related impacts.
