Newport Beach: Stories From the Coast
Oct 11, 2026 · 4 min · 4 segments
Newport Beach narrowly avoided the major coastal flooding officials feared from Post-Tropical Storm Rachel when Sunday’s high tide came in lower than forecast and the city’s massive sand berms held…
I know our show deals a lot with the history of Newport Beach, but this will become part of history.
We're looking at the news story that happened this weekend, October 9th through 11th.
Newport Beach narrowly escaped a major coastal flooding that officials have braced for on Sunday.
As the morning high tide associated with the remnants of post-tropical storm Rachel fell short of the most ominous forecasts.
Around 9.50 a.m., water levels came in roughly five inches below the potentially record-breaking heights the National Weather Service had flagged.
A massive sand berm the city had constructed along the beach largely prevented waves from overtopping into residential areas.
Observers only reported puddles in some beach parking lots by mid-morning, with homes remaining dry as of about 10 a.m. Pacific time.
The San Francisco Chronicle described the outcome as Rachel Sparing, Southern California, the major flooding that had been widely anticipated.
The relative relief on Sunday stood in contrast to conditions that began Friday when elevated tides and large south-facing surf pushed ocean water onto the Balboa Peninsula.
The city utilities director said the flooding stretched across 15 to 20 blocks.
You can see the videos on multiple social media accounts with water covering streets, stranding vehicles and reaching toward properties.
Friday's tide ran about 20 inches above the predicted value, almost two feet higher than the 12-inch anomalies the city has occasionally seen in the past.
Newport Beach declared a local emergency to access additional resources while crews rebuilt protective berms, operated pumps, and opened tide valves.
As of Sunday afternoon, Newport Pier, Balboa Pier and the Balboa parking lot and the Wedge remain temporarily closed.
City advisory urged people to stay out of the ocean because of dangerous surf and rip currents to keep off the sand berms so the barriers could not be weakened and to give heavy equipment space to work.
A coastal flood warning was scheduled to expire at 3 p.m. Sunday, after which a coastal flood advisory was expected to remain in effect until Tuesday afternoon for minor flooding possible during high tides.
Beach hazard statements noted 5 to 7 feet within local sets reaching 9.
In Newport Beach, the combination of pre-positioned berms, active pumping, and a tide that underperformed the upper forecast limited the damage relative to Friday.
Residents in low-lying areas are still advised to keep vehicles and valuables clear of flood-prone spots and to monitor official Newport Notified alerts as elevated ocean levels and residual swells are expected to linger into the early part of the week.
I know our show deals a lot with the history of Newport Beach, but this will become part of history.
We're looking at the news story that happened this weekend, October 9th through 11th.
Newport Beach narrowly escaped a major coastal flooding that officials have braced for on Sunday.
As the morning high tide associated with the remnants of post-tropical storm Rachel fell short of the most ominous forecasts.
Around 9.50 a.m., water levels came in roughly five inches below the potentially record-breaking heights the National Weather Service had flagged.
A massive sand berm the city had constructed along the beach largely prevented waves from overtopping into residential areas.
Observers only reported puddles in some beach parking lots by mid-morning, with homes remaining dry as of about 10 a.m. Pacific time.
The San Francisco Chronicle described the outcome as Rachel Sparing, Southern California, the major flooding that had been widely anticipated.
The relative relief on Sunday stood in contrast to conditions that began Friday when elevated tides and large south-facing surf pushed ocean water onto the Balboa Peninsula.
The city utilities director said the flooding stretched across 15 to 20 blocks.
You can see the videos on multiple social media accounts with water covering streets, stranding vehicles and reaching toward properties.
Friday's tide ran about 20 inches above the predicted value, almost two feet higher than the 12-inch anomalies the city has occasionally seen in the past.
Newport Beach declared a local emergency to access additional resources while crews rebuilt protective berms, operated pumps, and opened tide valves.
As of Sunday afternoon, Newport Pier, Balboa Pier and the Balboa parking lot and the Wedge remain temporarily closed.
City advisory urged people to stay out of the ocean because of dangerous surf and rip currents to keep off the sand berms so the barriers could not be weakened and to give heavy equipment space to work.
A coastal flood warning was scheduled to expire at 3 p.m. Sunday, after which a coastal flood advisory was expected to remain in effect until Tuesday afternoon for minor flooding possible during high tides.
Beach hazard statements noted 5 to 7 feet within local sets reaching 9.
In Newport Beach, the combination of pre-positioned berms, active pumping, and a tide that underperformed the upper forecast limited the damage relative to Friday.
Residents in low-lying areas are still advised to keep vehicles and valuables clear of flood-prone spots and to monitor official Newport Notified alerts as elevated ocean levels and residual swells are expected to linger into the early part of the week.
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