High tides continue to submerge parts of Bay Area with more flooding expected
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Flooding continued in some communities across the Bay Area as high tides caused road closures and stranded vehicles for the second day Tuesday.
SKY7 captured a vehicle stuck in floodwaters along with kayakers and runners on bike paths and numerous roads that were underwater.
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Officials said many people on Monday were caught off guard by the flooding and urged residents to prepare for future high-tide events, particularly with El Niño impacts expected over the coming months.
"There's a couple of things that the fire department cannot control and one is the tidal influence and another one is the weather," Mill Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Adam Vollmer said. "Our commitment to the citizens of Southern Marin is providing a high level of service and protecting life and property but some things are just out of our control, so our messaging to the community is preparedness."
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High tides also caused problems in Southern California on Sunday. In Newport Beach, water rushed into businesses, and officials warned that additional flooding could occur Monday. Authorities said tides could reach record levels through Tuesday.
The flooding comes about two weeks after Hurricane Rachel impacted the region. Meanwhile, a coastal flooding advisory has been extended through Friday for some parts of the Bay Area.
High tide floods portions of Palo Alto Baylands
A high tide flooded portions of the Palo Alto Baylands on Tuesday, quickly submerging areas that had been dry earlier in the day and surprising some visitors.
Warning signs at the Baylands cautioned that tides could affect walking paths, but water levels were low around midday. Conditions changed as high tide arrived at about 1:15 p.m., with water covering areas that had been accessible just minutes earlier.
Chris Williams, who was visiting the Baylands Nature Preserve, said the sudden rise in water levels caught him off guard.
"I feel like I could go swimming right now. You know, I've never seen it this high," Williams said.
Williams said he noticed a dramatic change after stopping for lunch.
"I come back and everything's flooded. I had to check if was I here earlier today." he said.
Toby Goldberg of Environmental Volunteers said the unusually high water was influenced by tidal conditions and El Niño-related effects.
Goldberg said higher water levels are expected in the coming months, with king tides forecast in November, December and January.
"The king tides are predicted to be anywhere above nine feet. But because of the El Nino year, that could be almost ten feet this year," Goldberg said.
Goldberg said park officials are relying on a new living levee to help manage incoming water during its first El Niño season since construction.
"We're hoping that the horizontal levee is going to alleviate some of that challenge of the water coming in so quickly, being able to absorb some of the intake from the storm as well," Goldberg said.
Despite those measures, flooding is still expected at times. Visitors are encouraged to check tide conditions and consult city information before heading to the preserve, as conditions can change rapidly.
High tides flood parts of Corte Madera
High tides also inundated streets in Corte Madera Tuesday and prompted local officials to urge residents to prepare for potentially worse conditions later in the season.
Water covered roadways for several hours, while residents and businesses took steps to protect their properties from rising water.
"Our whole front are is completely flooded," said Corte Madera resident Jason Build.
Around midday, water reached ankle depth in some areas and was even deeper in parts of the neighborhood along Golden Hind Passage.
"We're lucky we've had our house raised. Some people aren't so lucky like our next door neighbor," Build said. "So their garage will have 5 to 6 inches of water in it."
Neighbor Kirk Miller said flooding has become a familiar challenge.
"We've got sandbags in front of the garage because of the highest high tides, like what happened In January, it flooded about 6 inches in the garage," Miller said.
Miller expressed concern that conditions could worsen in the coming months.
"What's really concerning is that at Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's supposed to be one foot higher than this," he said.
VIDEO: High tides continue to flood parts of Marin County
Residents said they have been preparing for additional flooding events. Satchi Miller pointed to recent community efforts to educate homeowners.
"We had a flood fair here in the town. We had 250 people come. We had some demonstrations," she said.
Elsewhere in Corte Madera, floodwaters covered portions of Fifer Avenue and Tamal Vista Boulevard, slowing traffic and prompting businesses to install barriers to keep water out.
Marin County emergency officials said the flooding is an early indication of conditions associated with El Niño and a preview of what could come during future king tides.
"We are seeing the effects of El Niño this week. This is only getting us ready for next month's king tides," said Marin County Emergency Management Director Steven Torrence.
County leaders are encouraging residents to prepare now by gathering sandbags and taking steps to protect homes and businesses.
"This week is definitely a trial run for us for Thanksgiving week. All the resources we put out in the field, we are testing them to see how they perform," Torrence said.
Marin County officials said they have added a new sandbagging machine to speed production and have prepared 45,000 sandbags for distribution in the coming weeks.
As floodwaters receded Tuesday afternoon, officials continued monitoring conditions and urged residents in vulnerable areas to take advantage of available resources before higher tides are expected later this year.
