Home Care In Huntington Beach, CA

Rashel Mereness was on vacation when this week’s record-breaking king tide relentlessly streamed water onto the Redondo Beach International Boardwalk and into her bar, so she called staff to gauge just how bad the flooding was. While on the phone Wednesday morning, one staffer watched a city trash can float by.

“I don’t think anybody expected as much water as there is, so the sandbags maybe weren’t sufficient,” said Mereness, a co-owner of neighborhood sports bar the Slip. “But we’ve never experienced this. We’re all from California, you know? What’s weather?”

Houseboat residents parked in front of the bar came to help vacuum some of the Slip’s water. Some customers paddled by on rafts and boards, above what used to be the boardwalk. Mereness and her business partners joked about adding a swim-up bar.

“At least there’s no Sharknado,” she said.

In an already tenuous industry marked by razor-thin margins, high rents and increasing costs for goods and labor, some of the Southland’s favorite beach bars and restaurants are dumping out buckets of water this month. Many businesses are suffering financial losses though they remain open. Earlier in October a Kelvin wave and strengthened tides due to Tropical Storm Rachel brought flooding to multiple beach communities. This week Newport Beach, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach are all experiencing flooding, some with waves measuring over 8 feet in height.

Mereness, who owns the Slip with partners Randall LaFaye and Carlos Raygoza, said the ocean has breached the Redondo Beach seawall every day since Monday. They’ve experienced high tides before, but “this is the worst it’s been,” she said.

Their staff have kept the Slip relatively dry with sandbags and a Shop-Vac, hoovering out the water each morning when it floods. By afternoon when the tide recedes, the bar functions as it normally does with burgers, brews and screenings of sports matches. Some customers, she said, have been deterred from visiting given the news. LaFaye and Mereness estimate they lost around 30% of their business on Tuesday.

Last week they repainted both the bar’s interior and exterior, and hope the excess water won’t damage the recent work. Still, they said, they’re a bit luckier than some of their pier neighbors; they have windows that fully close. Others, like brewpub Project Barley, feature roll-up doors original to the wharf’s fishing community in the 1930s and ’40s, making it difficult to keep water outside.

“Having an open-air bar on the waterfront is appealing to the traffic,” co-owner Joe Smith said, “[but] there’s an upside and a downside for sure.”

Smith operates Project Barley and its adjacent operation, Next Door Bar. On Monday the sea didn’t reach either business. On Tuesday it flooded both and damaged Next Door Bar’s hardwood floors, which must now be replaced. He’s since rolled out plastic sheeting across the floors in an effort to stave off any additional destruction.

Project Barley has experienced light flooding before but “this is the first time where you are wading in water when you open the doors in the morning,” Smith said.

But like the Slip, when the tide recedes and the bar is cleaned and dried, business continues as usual. Smith and his partners are even offering $1 off beers this week, given the flooding, and are maintaining plans for Halloween costume contests, “The Voice” auditions and live music.

Nearby restaurant and market Quality Seafood said it actually saw an increase in sales when compared to last Tuesday, crediting the curious onlookers who’ve come to the pier and the boardwalk to investigate the flooding themselves.

The seafood stalwart — a Redondo Beach staple since 1953 — is outfitted to withstand small amounts of water, given its live-seafood tanks. Manager Adam Hurley, who witnessed the flooding, likened it to a bathtub gradually filling up with water, as opposed to some of the more violent wave thrashings seen in Laguna Beach and Long Beach.

Staff said they were barely flooded with water, but were inundated with calls; customers and generations of fans checked in to see whether the market was OK. General manager Marcia Bamba said they sustained some flooding on Wednesday and expected some on Thursday, but are not overly concerned, even heading into winter.

“Every time we hear ‘El Niño’ or something like that, we really are the type where until we see it, we’ll believe it,” she said. “It could rain, it could be snowing and we’ll still be open. I’ve been here for about 29 years, and I’ve never known this place to close. Not one day.”

In Laguna Beach, Lost Pier Cafe’s picturesque patio and beachside parking lot experienced powerful waves multiple times in October. This week the parking lot remains closed for repairs, but the cafe is open for business.

Grill ’Em All, the heavy metal-themed Long Beach burger shop with piled-high patties, did have to close on Monday.

Owner Matthew Chernus opened the restaurant on Bayshore Beach in 2023, closing the Alhambra location and centering operations on one end of Long Beach’s Alamitos Peninsula. He’d experienced high tides, but May marked the first king tide that affected his business. He downloaded tide apps, readied himself with sandbags and felt prepared for this week’s return. But the confluence of the warming oceans with higher water levels and the oversized waves saw the burger joint’s patio and dining room filled with ankle-deep water.

“Monday’s tide was so enormous,” he said. “Even with all those sandbags and tarps and everything else, water finds its way in through a little crack in the glass windows. The floorboards had water trickling under it, and we have a side door that had water coming through. You’re finding all these little trickles of water, and you’re trying to stop them, but it just keeps coming. It just moves around everything.”

He called Monday “a financial setback,” but said that even worse were the mental and physical tolls of having to cancel and reschedule expected shifts for his staff, hurting his knees in the process of cleaning and re-securing his restaurant, coming home “covered in mud and sand,” and having to recoordinate trash pickups, as the bins were covered in sand that was heavy “like cement.”

“Once all the water dried up,” Chernus said, “all the real problems started to show their faces.”

New, temporary sand berms are helping to stave off the rest of the week’s waves, but Chernus said he knows they can’t last forever.

Scientists warn that November and December’s tides will strengthen again, culminating not only in rough, high seas but also heavy expected rains from El Niño. Restaurants and bars currently flooded are now beginning to plan for potentially worse weather in the ensuing weeks.

“When you talk about the tide yesterday being 6.6 [feet], and then they’re talking about mid-November and late November, it could be 8 [feet], we’re worried about that,” Project Barley’s Smith said. He and business partner Brenton Reger are designing new barriers, bracing for the brunt of El Niño.

A manager at the Slip is recommending a renewed focus on to-go and delivery orders to weather the storm-heavy forecast.

At Grill ’Em All, Chernus is going to continue preparing with tarps, sandbags and berms, and crossing his fingers for November and December.

“Honestly, I don’t want to go back to where we were on Monday,” he said. “I don’t want to experience that again, but I have a feeling we will because it’s Mother Nature and we can’t stop her.”

Exceptionally high tides have flooded coastal communities across California since October 26, 2026, inundating homes, businesses and roads, forcing closures along Pacific Coast Highway and prompting a local emergency declaration in Huntington Beach. Water levels set a new record at San Diego, while the National Weather Service (NWS) extended coastal flood advisories around San Francisco, San Pablo and Monterey bays through November 1.

The National Weather Service (NWS) recorded a water level of 2.60 m (8.52 feet) above mean lower low water (MLLW) at the San Diego tide gauge on Tuesday, October 27, the highest measurement in the station’s record. The reading exceeded the previous day’s record of 2.57 m (8.44 feet), demonstrating the exceptional water levels accompanying the late-October tides.

In Huntington Beach, emergency conditions began on October 26 and continued through October 29, according to documentation prepared for the City Council. Tides reached 2.50 m (8.20 feet) during the week, producing widespread flooding in Huntington Harbor and Sunset Beach, two of the city’s most exposed waterfront communities.

Flooding forced the closure of sections of Pacific Coast Highway and other roads, restricting coastal traffic and access to affected neighborhoods. In an official notice for October 28, Huntington Beach announced closures on Pacific Coast Highway between Warner Avenue and Anderson Street and on Saybrook Lane between Edinger Avenue and Humboldt Drive. Several homes reported flooding and damage, while emergency crews responded to the effects of rising seawater.

City Manager Travis Hopkins proclaimed a local emergency on October 26 in his capacity as director of emergency services. The declaration addressed the actual and threatened effects of unusually high tides, coastal flooding, high surf and erosion. A special City Council meeting was scheduled for October 30 to consider ratifying the declaration and adopting additional emergency orders.

Emergency measures included constructing and reinforcing sand berms, installing sandbags and protective barriers along vulnerable waterfront areas, positioning pumping equipment and preparing personnel for flood rescue or evacuation. City officials also distributed sandbags and advised boaters to avoid unnecessary travel through Huntington Harbor, where boat wakes could worsen flooding and damage docks, bulkheads and private property.

The flooding coincided with unusually elevated water levels along much of Southern California’s coastline. In an October 29 advisory, the NWS San Diego office reported observed high tides running approximately 0.40–0.49 m (1.3–1.6 feet) above astronomical predictions. The coastal flood warning covering Orange and San Diego counties expired at 1 p.m. PDT (20:00 UTC) on October 29, but a lower-level coastal flood advisory remained in force until 2 p.m. PDT (21:00 UTC) on October 30.

Farther northwest, the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard office maintained coastal flood advisories through 2 p.m. PDT (21:00 UTC) on October 30 for beaches in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Forecasters warned of minor to moderate seawater flooding in vulnerable coastal locations, including parking lots, bicycle paths and harbor walkways, as well as beach erosion and possible damage to exposed structures.

Northern California also experienced flooding. Marin County’s Office of Emergency Management confirmed inundation of low-lying coastal areas and reported multiple road closures, including Miller Avenue between Camino Alto and Almonte Boulevard in Mill Valley, the western Redwood Highway frontage road near Highway 101, Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera and Larkspur Plaza Drive at Creekside.

The NWS San Francisco Bay Area office extended its coastal flood advisory for shoreline locations around San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay until 6 p.m. PDT on Sunday, November 1 (02:00 UTC on November 2). A separate advisory for the Pacific coast of the North Bay and San Francisco Peninsula remained in effect until 6 p.m. PDT on Saturday, October 31 (01:00 UTC on November 1).

The advisory warned that water could reach as much as 0.58 m (1.9 feet) above ground level in vulnerable low-lying locations. The figure represents possible inundation, not a measured flood depth across the advisory area. Forecasters identified bayshore Marin County as particularly susceptible to continued flooding.

At the San Francisco tidal gauge, the NWS forecast a water level of 2.35 m (7.7 feet) MLLW at 2:39 p.m. PDT (21:39 UTC) on October 30, approximately 0.58 m (1.9 feet) above normal. The forecast included as much as 0.46 m (1.5 feet) of additional water-level rise beyond the astronomical tide. The expected levels were projected to decline to 2.23 m (7.3 feet) on October 31 and 2.07 m (6.8 feet) on November 1.

The unusually high water levels resulted from astronomically high tides occurring against an already elevated ocean surface. The NWS San Diego office linked the additional rise to thermal expansion associated with exceptionally warm Pacific waters during the strengthening El Niño. In its October 29 discussion, the agency reported that sea levels near San Diego were approximately 0.43 m (17 inches) higher than a year earlier.

The California Coastal Commission has identified El Niño conditions and oceanic Kelvin waves as factors capable of temporarily raising sea levels along the state’s coast. The combined influence of elevated background water levels and high astronomical tides increases the likelihood of coastal inundation, particularly around enclosed harbors, tidal waterways and low-lying waterfront developments.

The late-October event occurred ahead of the California Coastal Commission’s designated winter king-tide observation periods, scheduled for November 24–26 and December 23–25, 2026, and January 21–22, 2027. The NWS San Diego office noted that predicted astronomical high tides during the coming winter events would be higher than those associated with the October flooding.

For the immediate period, forecasters expected flooding to gradually ease along parts of Southern California as the extreme tides diminished, while elevated water levels continued to threaten the Bay Area into the weekend. Authorities advised motorists to avoid barricaded roads and water of unknown depth. Marin County emergency officials also warned residents not to walk or cycle through flooded areas.

Meanwhile, on the eastern coast, king tides, persistent onshore winds and elevated seas caused coastal flooding along Florida’s Atlantic coast from October 26 to 29, 2026.

Preliminary water levels reached 0.82 m (2.7 feet) above mean higher high water (MHHW) at Lake Worth Pier and 0.76 m (2.48 feet) at South Port Everglades, both above the highest values in NOAA’s current station tables. Virginia Key recorded its highest king tide and third-highest overall level since consistent observations began in 1994.

References:

¹ Adoption of Resolution No. 2026-41 Ratifying Existence of Local Emergency and Adopting Emergency Orders and Regulations – City of Huntington Beach – October 30, 2026

² Area Forecast Discussion – NWS San Diego – October 29, 2026

³ Coastal Flood Advisory for San Francisco, San Pablo and Monterey bays – NWS San Francisco Bay Area – October 29, 2026

^{Feature image credit: California King Tides Project}

Monster king tides battered Huntington Beach this week, damaging more than 100 structures, forcing evacuations and leaving residents scrambling to clean up before another potentially destructive surge hits next month.

The coastal flooding damaged approximately 114 buildings, including six homes that were slapped with yellow tags restricting access because of safety concerns, the city reported.

In one particularly alarming incident, saltwater came into contact with a lithium-ion battery, sparking a fire inside one structure.

The damage prompted an extensive emergency response as city crews raced to protect vulnerable coastal neighborhoods from the surging seawater.

“In anticipation of the flooding, the City took proactive steps to protect our coastal communities, particularly Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour. We activated our Mobile Command Post and strategically deployed emergency response resources into areas expected to be impacted,” the city said Thursday.

The flooding was largely driven by powerful King Tides, which occur when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth and aligns with the sun during a new or full moon, producing unusually high water levels.

The monster tides didn’t just swamp coastal homes and neighborhoods. They also turned stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway into a watery mess Tuesday.

PCH was shut down in both directions between Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, while Orange County Metrolink service was suspended Monday between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside.

In Newport Beach, knee-deep floodwaters surged through residential streets and poured into homes, leaving some motorists stranded as vehicles became partially submerged.

Crews scrambled to hold back the rising water, deploying pumps and piling up sand berms to reinforce vulnerable sections of the coastline against the pounding waves.

These latest incidents come just weeks after Tropical Storm Rachel swept across California, wrecking homes and boardwalks. In Long Beach, the waves ripped along the city’s century-old boardwalk.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Newport Beach also declared a local emergency Oct. 9 after powerful swells and elevated tides sent seawater spilling across the Balboa Peninsula, stranding motorists and partially submerging vehicles.

According to experts, this week’s coastal carnage is only a preview of more violent El Niño storms set to come this winter.

The City Council decided Huntington Beach will appeal a state audit into its controversial settlement with the Pacific Airshow two months after a judge ruled that the review would go forward

“We believe the trial court made some reversible errors and we’re going to appeal that case,” City Attorney Mike Vigliotta said after a closed-session discussion Friday during which the council voted unanimously to pursue the appeal.

In April, the council had agreed to settle with the state, but Vigliotta said the state made “unreasonable requests” that made a deal impossible, including not having “any kind of guardrails whatsoever” on the scope of the audit.

In May 2024, the California Joint Legislative Audit Committee directed state auditor Grant Parks to review the settlement Huntington Beach leaders struck with the operators of the Pacific Airshow in 2023. The city agreed to pay the air show operator $4.9 million to make up for losses incurred after the 2021 show was cut short due to an oil spill. The settlement also included the potential for the air show operators to have exclusive rights to host the annual event for up to 40 years.

Parks sued the city in October 2024 for refusing to comply with his subpoena to interview staff and access permits and contracts related to the Pacific Airshow.

In July, Orange County Superior Court Judge Carmen Luege ordered the city to give Parks “access to, examination of, and reproduction of city records requested in connection” with the audit.

The ruling followed months of hearings in which the judge wrestled with questions about the extent of the state auditor’s subpoena powers and the due process rights a city is entitled to.

Luege ultimately ruled that the city cannot refuse to comply with the audit on grounds of confidentiality.

“The city argues that some requested materials exceed the audit’s scope or constitute attorney work product,” Luege wrote. “These concerns do not justify a categorical refusal to comply with (the audit).”

More than 100 structures were damaged and six homes were deemed unsafe after record-breaking high tides

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Record-breaking tides damaged more than 100 structures in Huntington Beach, with experts warning that the worst may still be ahead.

In Huntington Beach, 114 homes and other structures sustained water damage as seawater flooded low-lying areas such as Sunset Beach and Huntington Harbour, according to Huntington Beach City officials.

Six homes were yellow-tagged, restricting access due to safety concerns.

The flooding turned stretches of Pacific Coast Highway and surrounding residential roads into waterways through the week.

In Sunset Beach, residents described damage left behind after days of flooding that sent salt water into homes despite extensive preparation.

"We've never had this kind of thing," Sunset Beach Women's Club President Dawn McCormack told KTLA.

According to McCormack, nine of the club's members had two to three inches of water in their homes.

Now, as city crews and residents work to clean up, scientists warned SoCal residents that another round of even higher tides could come in November.

Water levels during the peak of El Niño can rise another one to two feet above those record-breaking tides recorded this week, especially if powerful storms coincide with king tides, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"If you imagine the amount of water that we saw this week, and then you add a foot to that... plus a low-pressure weather system, that's going to be devastating for a lot of people who have never seen that much water," UC Berkeley Professor Kristina Hill told the Times.

The next major concern is the return of king tides around Thanksgiving, followed by additional high-tide events around Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.