High tides have been wreaking havoc along a huge swath of the Bay Area — with authorities warning that more flooding could impact the region.
A coastal flood advisory has been extended through Sunday, affecting the California coast from Santa Rosa down all the way to Monterey, according to the National Weather Service.
Up to 1.9 feet of flooding above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways during peak high tides, the alert said. Specifically in the San Pablo, San Francisco and Monterey bays, residents can expect the flooding to last until 6 p.m. Sunday.
The weather service warned people to not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depths. Multiple roads may be closed.
Sunday would be at least the seventh straight day of high-tide flooding in the region, with residents saying the deluge has been one of the most serious they’ve experienced.
“This is one of the highest tides I’ve ever seen. I’ve been here since 1976,” Corte Madera resident Suzi Beatie told ABC 7.
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Part of the reason for the flooding is the stronger-than-usual El Niño season, which can cause elevated sea levels to collide with heavy winter storm surges.
Aerial footage showed multiple flooded roads and backyards, with the water even partially submerging a football field. People were spotted biking and driving cars through inundated streets.
In Sausalito, a parking lot near the area’s houseboats was completely submerged. One person was seen wading through high water, while a flower delivery van stalled in the flooded area and drew assistance from bystanders.
Public works crews were seen working around the clock, piling up sandbags to protect flood-prone property.
“The sandbaging has been really effective it’s slowed the rush and flow of water and yeah so it’s slowed it down,” Fletcher Irwin, a Larkspur resident, told ABC 7.
The weather service warned that the risk of flooding would be particularly high in Marin County, one of the most flood-prone counties in California, due to its position between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.
Marin County Public Works crews said their goal is to have roughly 45,000 sandbags ready over the coming weeks.
“This is just kind of a predecessor of what’s to come. We’re expecting the first major King Tides the week of Thanksgiving so we’re doing all this work to get ahead of that to prepare to minimize damage to property,” said Michael Frost, the county’s assistant director of public works.
Marin County has issued an El Niño emergency proclamation, and communities including Corte Madera, Larkspur and Tiburon adopted declarations last week.
Officials said the declarations will help local governments expedite resources and facilitate state and federal assistance if needed.
Some homeowners said that the situation is making them invest in long-term solutions.
One Mariner Cove resident planned to raise his home by approximately 3 feet.
“It takes the worry out of getting flooded. Already I’m less worried. It takes the uncertainty out of reselling, and it’ll be 100% flood-proof,” Jason Brodersen told ABC 7.
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