The National Weather Service (NWS) said king tides, which are the highest tides of the year, would be seen starting on Friday.
Other king tides will develop from December 22 to 24, and from January 21 to 22, consequences from the El Niño. A coastal flood advisory was already issued by the NWS.
According to the California King Tides Project, ‘king tide’ isn’t a scientific term, but it is used to describe an especially high tide event, when there is an alignment of the gravitational pull between sun and moon. The Project also states that king tides occur naturally and regularly, they are predictable and expected as they aren9t an everyday occurrence.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have studied observations made by NASA satellites. Results show that global sea levels have been increasing. The main causes of this phenomenon are the warming expansion of the oceans, and water contributions from melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets.
Yesterday, residents from Seal Beach in Santa Monica found their parking lots and alleys under water. This year, King Tides have been higher than normal. The forecast predicted a high tide 7.0 feet above normal sea level, but it turned out to be a 8.0 tide.
Actual high tides will probably be the lowest ones on the future. El Niño phenomenon could increase the size of king tides by a foot. Rain levels on Southern California are expected to be higher than usual next year.
The World Meteorological Organization states in its official webpage that El Niño is probably responsible for 16 to 20 percent of the rising temperatures. The phenomenon is a phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle, which describes fluctuations in temperatures between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific.
“The county has been preparing for weeks now for the El Niño storms this winter combined with the possibility of strong tides at the same time. In and of itself, the high tides, the damage they can do is fairly limited. We’re more concerned about a combination of high tide and a winter storm with heavy winds,” said Carol Baker, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
Baker said that 10-to-15 foot sand walls have been made in order to protect public buildings, such as lifeguard facilities and restrooms in some beaches.
Source: Herald Voice