California Braces for 1-Foot Sea-Level Spike From Super El Niño as Record Warmth Builds
Updated
Updated · The Santa Rosa Press Democrat · Aug 5
California Braces for 1-Foot Sea-Level Spike From Super El Niño as Record Warmth Builds
3 articles · Updated · The Santa Rosa Press Democrat · Aug 5
Summary
Half a foot to 1 foot of anomalously high sea levels could hit California this fall and winter, with experts warning of the highest coastal water levels ever recorded during the event.
Record warmth in the eastern tropical Pacific for this calendar date is driving forecasts that the current El Niño will strengthen into a Super El Niño—possibly unlike anything seen in living memory in California.
High waves, king tides peaking near year-end and heavy rainfall could combine to trigger major coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion, erosion and a wetter-than-usual winter, especially in Southern California and likely Northern California too.
Cal OES said it is coordinating with the National Guard, Caltrans, Cal Fire and water agencies, while urging residents to sign up for alerts, prepare go-bags and make family emergency plans.
Storm impacts typically build from mid-December into the New Year, and experts also expect disruptions to marine ecosystems as warmer water suppresses nutrient-rich upwelling.
With beaches shifting 30 meters inland, is your coastal home secretly sitting in the crosshairs of the upcoming super El Niño?
As record-shattering sea levels threaten California, will the insurance industry abandon coastal homeowners before the worst storms even hit?
Beyond shattered seawalls, could silent saltwater intrusion from this impending super El Niño permanently destroy California's coastal groundwater supply?