Newport Beach residents and city officials brace for exceptionally high king tides ahead
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For Larry and Sue Leifer, who have lived on Newport Island since 1989, dealing with tide variations like the king tides that flooded the area in the waning days of October comes with the territory.
King tides typically occur a few times during the year. During these tides, the moon and sun raise the sea above its usual level and, last month, they reached a record 8.4-feet high at Newport, causing widespread flooding.
Sue Leifer recalls a unique way she used to aid a neighbor to help combat a potential casualty during a king tides episodes.
“Years ago, when we expected king tides, my neighbor, who happened to have low-level pilings, would invite me to tea,” Sue Leifer said. “And along with [stacks of] sandbags, we would stand on the float to keep it from rising and floating away.”
Her husband explained that foam-based floats serving waterfront properties on the island can take off when the pilings they’re attached to are too low.
“One neighbor’s piling was where the gangway sits on the float, which snagged and broke apart,” Larry Leifer said of one past king tides incident he recalls clearly. “The left side of a nearby dock had broken away from the piling and the material underneath began slipping out overtop the piling and unmoored altogether.”
While the Leifers’ float and pilings have been upgraded and are intact, their property concern has more to do with the need for a good seawall.
“We want to tie into adjacent neighbors’ bulkheads that are in line and away from the house because ours is much closer to our house,” Larry Leifer said. “We want to put a seawall in line with our neighbors on both sides where the seawall came up to their patios instead of recessed back to the house.”
He was told by the city of Newport Beach the obstacle preventing the installation was the California Coastal Commission’s objection to extending an existing seawall by filling in the sand between the end of the beach and his house because it presents a threat to sea life.
“The city was encouraging people to build higher seawalls, but we can’t do that where we are because of the structure,” Larry Leifer said. ”An extended concrete seawall provides better protection from seawater rise rather than an original wooden bulkhead against the house. If we had a seawall we’d be better able to protect ourselves from sea level.”
Pete, Tom and Ben Swift of the family-owned Swift Slip Dock & Pier Builders, have become celebrities of sorts in the aftermath of the late October king tides.
“I’ve never seen water this tall in 44 years,“ said Pete Swift, who, along with his brother Tom founded the Orange County-based business. “We’re all over and have a full time crew dedicated to everyday building and repairing along with a second crew pouring piling extensions.
“I have seen the float come off the pilings since one is usually shorter than the other,” Swift said. “The pilings become misaligned and, when the tide drops. the float gets stuck and hangs in the air by the taller piling around 6-to-8 feet, which is terrifying. When this happens, emergency calls come in 24 hours a day, no matter when it occurs.”
Swift added that the city of Newport Beach began requiring taller pilings than had been used in “the old days,” so now there is a variety of sizes, depending on how old an existing piling is.
“Up until now everyone wanted them lower because they didn’t want to obstruct their view, now with the Kelvin [wave] and high tides we need to build to code which the city laid out a taller height adding 18 inches. We’re extending the existing piling adding more concrete not pulling out of the ground and replacing,” Swift said. “Some residents overreacted after the recent high tides asking for 3 feet taller because they don’t want to ever have to do this again.”
As for the Leifers’ dilemma where a seawall prevents bluff erosion and possibly protects a home, it also reduces beach size, sediment and ecosystem as well as public access, according to Joshua Smith, public information officer for the California Coastal Commission. “It’s important to note that while seawalls can provide temporary relief for homes, they can also increase erosion and destroy the public beaches that help protect those same structures.”
City urges residents be prepared for next king tides
The next king tides are expected Nov. 23 through Nov. 27 and Dec. 22 through Dec. 26 and again in January. City spokesperson Georgia Rios on Wednesday issued a special notice to residents to prepare well in advance because the next round could be “exceptionally high,” reaching more than 12 inches higher than they did last month.
“These conditions could significantly increase the risk of coastal flooding in low-lying neighborhoods, waterfront areas and other similar areas prone to flooding, including properties that did not experience flooding in October,” the notice reads. “Water overtopping or passing through even one low, damaged or deteriorating seawall could flood homes, vehicles, neighboring properties and streets. Property owners are asked to inspect their seawalls and take protective measures before the next high tide event.”
City crews are at work fortifying the flood-prone areas by reinforcing sand berms, inspecting stormwater infrastructure and position response equipment and sandbags, according to the news release.
Among the cautionary notes to residents is a warning to take steps to protect electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.
“Move vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), golf carts and e-bikes, to higher ground in areas at risk of flooding. Floodwater, especially saltwater, can damage lithium-ion batteries and create a fire risk, even after the water recedes. Do not operate or charge any EV, golf cart, e-bike or lithium-ion battery that has been exposed to floodwater until it has been inspected by a qualified professional. If a battery shows signs of damage, such as discoloration, swelling or smoke, stay away and call 911 immediately.”
— Hoffman is a Daily Pilot contributor
