Flooding hits Newport Beach and Southern California coast

Coastal flooding inundated streets and damaged homes in Newport Beach and other Southern California communities on Friday, October 9, as high tides and surf arrived ahead of Tropical Storm Rachel. Newport Beach officials said city crews pumped water from streets, worked to reinforce beach berms and opened tide valves to help drain floodwaters. The Balboa Peninsula was among the hardest-hit areas in Newport Beach. Streets were under water during the morning high tide, and residents and motorists were advised to avoid the area. Utilities Director Mark Vukojevic said the tide reached 20 inches higher than predicted, a larger difference than the 12 inches the city had seen in some previous events. Officials were still determining how many homes were damaged. The flooding prompted Newport Beach to declare a local emergency and urge residents to obtain sandbags, according to city officials. Crews worked on roads and protective berms as the city prepared for more coastal impacts. No injuries were reported in the flooding described in local accounts. Flooding and high surf also affected Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach.