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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. () — The city of Newport Beach declared a local emergency after coastal flooding inundated streets across the Balboa Peninsula on Friday morning, stranding vehicles and damaging homes and businesses.
“This declaration will help the city secure additional resources and coordinate with regional partners as we respond to these conditions,” Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman told reporters at a news conference Friday evening. “Our priority is the safety of our residents and visitors and protecting homes, businesses and public infrastructure.”
City officials held a news conference Friday at 6 p.m. to discuss flooding concerns.
City officials held a news conference Friday at 6 p.m. to discuss flooding concerns as Newport Beach declares a local emergency.
“Right now we have city staff members and contractors utilizing heavy equipment to rebuild and reinforce protective sand berms along our beaches. We’re expecting additional personnel and equipment from our contractors and potentially other public agencies as we put out the request for mutual aid,” said Newport Beach City Manager Seimone Jurjis.
“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,” Jurjis added.
Much of the peninsula was shut down as water surged into the streets thanks to Tropical Storm Rachel. By Friday afternoon, the water had receded, leaving behind damage and a large cleanup effort.
“Our crews are operating pumps, opening tide valves and taking additional measures to reduce street flooding,” Jurjis said. “Our police department will be ready to assist with traffic control, maintain emergency access if the community experiences additional flooding.”
Rachel is still hundreds of miles away, but we’re already starting to see some major impacts along the coast.
“It just like splashed right in, and I couldn’t get the door shut early enough. I was like, ‘Oh no!’” Newport Beach resident Ali Bickell said of the floodwater.
Some residents initially attempted to drive through the flooded roads before the city closed much of the peninsula. Dozens of vehicles became stuck, while some people found other ways to navigate the flooded streets.
AIR7 video shows several streets blanketed in water. Paddleboarders were seen floating down the neighborhood streets.
By Friday afternoon, the roads were reopened.
“We thought it was AI, honestly, when we saw it online. I thought, ‘This is a joke.’ But then we got stuck in traffic, and then we saw the water coming through,” said Patricia Abi Rached, owner of Beachouse Studio.
“Super dangerous. I woke up, and it was all the way up to my doors on my car,” Newport Beach resident Flynn Brown said.
Sandbags will be available to residents at the city’s corporate yard at 592 Superior Avenue to help protect their properties, according to Jurjis. The facility will be open through the night for sandbag distribution. Jurjis said that additional sandbags will be placed at Marina Park on the peninsula. Lifeguards will also have sandbags in their vehicles at lifeguard headquarters for Balboa Peninsula residents.
City Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic said the flooding stretched across a significant portion of the peninsula.
“The reports that I’ve seen is that we’re probably 15 to 20 blocks worth of flooding on the street,” Vukojevic said.
The city’s utilities director estimates there were 15 to 20 blocks worth of street flooding in the area on Friday, with no official estimate on possible damage to homes.
Vukojevic said Friday morning’s high tide came in significantly higher than forecast.
“This morning’s tide came in 20 inches higher than the actual predicted tide value. It’s significant, yes. We’ve seen it be, you know, 12 inches higher, but this is kind of record-breaking for us,” he said.
Crews worked to open tide valves and drain the flooded roads. The city also built a large sand berm along the beach in preparation for more high surf.
“Never seen anything like this before. Like, dude, the whole street is flooded from here all the way to the end of the block. The crazy thing is Sunday is supposed to be worse,” Newport Beach resident Jonathan Nguyen said.
The city is preparing for additional impacts throughout the weekend. Officials are asking residents to protect their homes and, if possible, move their vehicles to higher ground.
A Coastal Flooding Advisory is in place through Tuesday afternoon for the entire SoCal coast. Sunday is the biggest day of concern, with high tide, powerful swells and rip currents possible.
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