High tides flood Southern California as San Pedro sets record

Unusually high tides flooded coastal streets and businesses in Southern California on Monday, while a preliminary reading at the San Pedro gauge set a record and forecasters warned of another high tide Tuesday. The National Weather Service said the San Pedro gauge reached 8.02 feet Monday, exceeding the previous record of 7.93 feet set in 2005. The reading is preliminary, and slightly higher tides were possible Tuesday. The gauge’s records date to November 1923. In Newport Beach, the Monday high tide reached 8.3 feet, flooding streets and low-lying areas, including parts of the Balboa Peninsula. Businesses were affected, and city crews pumped water from flooded areas. Residents in Long Beach also reported flooding near Bayshore Beach, Naples and the Peninsula, with water reaching neighborhood streets. Newport Beach spokesperson Georgia Rios said the city had distributed more than 25,000 sandbags since the weekend and credited residents’ use of them with helping limit damage. The city had activated pumps and placed sand berms to protect vulnerable neighborhoods. Officials had not received reports of significant widespread damage in Newport Beach, though flooding affected...