Newport shores up berms after flooding damages at least one home on Balboa Peninsula

City crews were working Monday in Newport Beach to build up sand berms in an effort to prevent a recurrence of flooding in which high tide and large surf sent ocean water rushing across the beach Saturday morning. Several streets on the Balboa Peninsula were flooded and at least one home was damaged.

But waves Monday morning were small compared with those on Saturday, which reached upward of 15 feet at the famed Wedge surf spot. Other areas of Newport Beach saw waves in the 6- to 8-foot range Saturday.

Waves on Monday were expected to reach 6 feet in some areas.

The high tide Saturday reached its peak shortly before 11 a.m., sending at least a foot of water rushing onto Balboa Boulevard between B Street and Medina Way, according to residents.

A video posted on YouTube shows people bicycling through the parking lot near the Balboa Pier as water flowed from the lot onto the street.

Resident Dorothy Kraus was on the peninsula riding her new bike when she came across the flooded parking lot. She said she initially thought there had been a water main break, but as she traveled farther down the boardwalk toward the Wedge, she noticed the massive surf.

“Everyone stopped their bikes to watch what was going on,” she said. “It was really incredible.”

Eastbound Balboa Boulevard was closed briefly at A Street and southbound Adams Street on Saturday while city crews pumped out water and opened storm drain valves, officials said.

City Utilities Manager Jim Auger said one home’s garage on Balboa Boulevard was damaged in the flood.

The garages of two other homes on Balboa near B Street also may have been damaged, but the residents were not home at the time to confirm, Auger said.

Sandbags and wood were still in place Monday to help protect the entrances of some homes on B Street.

Balboa Peninsula resident Mike Glenn said the last time the area had significant flooding from waves and high tide was in 2011.

Glenn said the city needs to do a better job building sand berms in preparation for large surf and high tides.

“This is something that used to happen a lot,” Glenn said of the flooding. “This isn’t something Newport Beach should be struggling with after more than 100 years of history.”

But city officials contend the issue is a bit more complex.

Municipal Operations Director George Murdoch said that while city officials can predict tides and swells, it’s a challenge to foresee what direction swells are coming from and to prepare berms in all cases.

He said the location of Saturday’s southern swell took officials by surprise, but he said the city’s response was swift and that flooding dissipated in less than an hour.

“It was unfortunate, but it could have been a lot worse,” Murdoch said.

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