UPDATE: The Bay Area is reeling from severe flooding caused by record king tides and a powerful storm, a situation experts warn could become increasingly common due to climate change. Over the weekend, Larkspur saw flooding that forced residents to navigate their neighborhoods in kayaks and paddleboards, with some garages submerged under water.
Local resident Ari Gorman stated, “As far as we know, it’s the biggest tide and storm at the same time that we’ve had in about 30 years here.” The flooding is a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against rising sea levels, exacerbated by climate change.
With a brief lull in the rain, residents began airing out their garages, assessing the damage. Chris Hecht, another Larkspur resident, noted, “This has been happening for generations… but yeah, I do expect it will probably get worse than it has been.”
Video footage from the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience shows alarming projections for San Mateo County, which faces significant risks from sea-level rise. Professor Mike Beck, Director of the Center, is closely monitoring the situation. He explained, “King tides give us a good picture into what future sea levels can look like and the problems that that creates.”
The current king tides are expected to push water levels up by an additional 2 to 4 feet, particularly this time of year when rainfall coincides with high tides. In San Francisco, the Embarcadero experienced significant flooding, prompting the Port of San Francisco to implement a resilience plan in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Spokesperson Eric Young stated, “We know that sea level rise is happening and it’s going to get worse in the coming years.”
Professor Beck emphasizes the need for cities to adopt nature-based solutions to combat these rising tides. “We are going to need to defend better,” he said, advocating for the integration of wetlands and dunes with traditional infrastructure like dikes and seawalls.
As the Bay Area continues to grapple with the consequences of climate change, residents are urged to remain vigilant and prepare for potential future flooding events. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated as experts warn that the impacts of rising sea levels will only intensify, making proactive measures imperative.
Residents and officials alike are bracing for what lies ahead, with communities working together to mitigate the risks posed by these increasingly frequent weather events. As the climate crisis escalates, the time to act is NOW.
