The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood warning for Orange and San Diego counties from early Sunday morning, October 25, through Thursday afternoon, October 29, as king tides stack on top of already-elevated ocean levels. Forecasters warn of significant flooding in low-lying coastal areas, beach erosion, and disrupted rail service. Here is what the warning covers, how high the water could get, and what coastal residents and travelers should do.
What we know
- The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a coastal flood warning for Orange and San Diego counties, in effect from early Sunday morning, October 25, through Thursday afternoon, October 29.
- Forecasters expect significant flooding in low-lying coastal areas and shoreline erosion during morning high tides, with tides possibly reaching 7.5 feet or more — and some forecasts calling for total water levels above 8 feet on Monday and Tuesday.
- Ocean levels are already running 18 to 22 inches above astronomical predictions off Newport Beach, driven by unusually warm water and an El Niño-related Kelvin wave.
- Newport Beach has declared a local emergency, activated an emergency operations center, and deployed sandbags, protective berms, and pumps.
- Metrolink has suspended commuter rail service in southern Orange County and San Diego County for the coming workweek because of the tide forecast, and Amtrak schedules have been adjusted.
What we don’t know
- Exact peak water levels day by day are still forecasts, not measurements — they depend on how surf, wind, and the elevated ocean baseline combine at each high tide.
- Which specific streets and neighborhoods flood, and how badly, will only be known as each morning’s high tide arrives.
- Whether the warning is extended beyond Thursday depends on later forecasts; no extension has been announced.
Key facts
Warning: Coastal Flood Warning, NWS San Diego
Counties: Orange and San Diego counties
Window: Early Sunday, Oct 25, through Thursday afternoon, Oct 29
Peak threat: Morning high tides, especially Monday–Wednesday
Forecast levels: Tides 7.5 ft or more; total water levels possibly above 8 ft Mon–Tue; Newport Beach city forecasts 8.3 ft Mon, 8.5 ft Tue, 8.4 ft Wed
Why so high: King tides (Oct 26–28) + El Niño Kelvin wave + warm water pushing levels 18–22 inches above predictions
Local response: Newport Beach local emergency, emergency operations center, sandbags, berms, pumps, sand relocation
Travel impact: Metrolink suspended in southern Orange County and San Diego County for the workweek; Amtrak adjustments
A warning that starts this morning
This is not a distant forecast. The warning began early Sunday morning, October 25, and the first high tide of the warning period arrived Sunday morning. The National Weather Service says significant flooding is expected in coastal areas of San Diego and Orange counties across the last week of October, with any low-lying property at risk of inundation and some shoreline erosion expected in the mornings. Tides may reach 7.5 feet or more, and forecasters warn total water levels could exceed 8 feet on Monday and Tuesday as the elevated ocean overlaps the king tide.
King tides are the year’s highest tides, caused by the alignment of the sun and moon, and this round falls on October 26–28. On their own they would be notable. What makes this event dangerous is what they are stacking on top of: weeks of hurricane-generated surf, widespread beach erosion, and an El Niño-associated Kelvin wave — a bulge of warm water moving across the Pacific — that has already pushed actual ocean levels well above what the tide tables predict. Newport Beach reports water running 18 to 22 inches higher than expected, and the city has adjusted its own forecasts upward, calling for peaks of 8.3 feet Monday morning, 8.5 feet Tuesday, and 8.4 feet Wednesday.
What cities are doing
Newport Beach has moved early. The city declared a local emergency, activated an emergency operations center, and deployed sandbags, protective berms, and pumps. Crews are planning to relocate approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sand to eroded beaches, and about 30 to 40 trucks have been hauling sand from an area above Prado Dam to The Wedge, with a goal of moving 2,000 cubic yards by Saturday. Thousands of sandbags have been installed on vulnerable parts of Balboa Island. Long Beach began dredging Alamitos Bay and pumping sand onto the beach along the Peninsula, which the city says has already added visible beachfront near the 72nd Place parking lot, and repairs have begun on the Peninsula’s damaged boardwalk.
Elsewhere, the strain on battered infrastructure is visible. Near Crystal Cove, Caltrans is placing 4-foot-tall sand-filled barriers beneath Coast Highway where a crack has developed in the slope, and the two lanes closest to the cliff remain closed. In the Bay Area, crews are shutting down a section of state Highway 37 for 55 hours this weekend for emergency work to prepare for winter, with the goal of raising flood-prone stretches by 3 feet — a reminder that the elevated-water threat extends beyond Southern California, even though this warning covers Orange and San Diego counties.
Travel disruptions
Rail travelers should plan around the tides. Metrolink has suspended commuter rail service in southern Orange County and San Diego County for the coming workweek because of the tide forecast, and Amtrak has adjusted schedules, with USA Today reporting service updates tied to the high-tide disruption. Anyone traveling along the coast this week should check Metrolink and Amtrak schedules before leaving, expect delays or cancellations near the coast, and avoid driving through flooded roads — even shallow-looking water can hide road damage, and it takes very little moving water to sweep a vehicle.
What officials are telling the public
The message from forecasters is unusually direct. “The warning and advisories are real. People should take them seriously because conditions are favorable for flooding,” said Doug George, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That bluntness reflects the setup: the beaches are already eroded, the ocean baseline is already high, and the king tides have not yet peaked. The most concerning windows are Monday and Tuesday mornings, when the highest total water levels are expected, but flooding and erosion risk continues through Thursday as elevated water levels and depleted beaches persist.
Residents in low-lying coastal neighborhoods should move valuables and vehicles to higher ground before the morning high tide, keep sandbags and pumps ready where provided, and never walk or drive through floodwater. Beachgoers should stay off battered bluffs and away from waves washing over seawalls and walkways. For the latest official information, the National Weather Service in San Diego and local city emergency pages are the authoritative sources — conditions will change with each tide, and this article is a snapshot as of Sunday morning.
What happens next
- Sunday: Warning in effect from early morning; first high tide of the event; surf easing but flooding risk rising.
- Monday–Tuesday: Most concerning windows — total water levels possibly above 8 feet; Newport Beach city forecasts 8.3–8.5 feet.
- Wednesday–Thursday: Warning continues; elevated water levels and erosion risk persist through Thursday afternoon.
- Travel: Metrolink suspension in southern Orange County and San Diego County for the workweek; check schedules before traveling.
- Beyond Thursday: No extension announced; later forecasts will decide whether the warning continues.
This article will be updated as new forecasts and impact reports arrive.
Primary source: National Weather Service, San Diego (coastal flood warning, October 25–29, 2026, as reported October 23–24, 2026); NOAA oceanographer statement.
Secondary reporting: USA Today, “High tides to disrupt SoCal travel” (October 23, 2026); Surfer, “King Tides Pummel California Coast as Super El Niño Surges” (October 24, 2026); IBTimes Singapore, “Southern California Coastal Flood Warning” (October 24, 2026); Particle News summary of NWS and UC Davis reporting (October 25, 2026).
By DailyTrend USA Newsroom.
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