King tides, storm surge cause flooding in parts of the Bay Area; advisory in effect

By Jose Fabian

King tides and a storm surge caused flooding in parts of the Bay Area on Saturday, and a coastal flood advisory will be in effect until Sunday at 2 p.m.

A coastal flooding warning was in effect but ended at 2 p.m. and was downgraded to an advisory. The NWS said there is still expected to be significant coastal flooding due to high astronomical tides and storm surge.

“Up to 2.5 ft of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways,” the NWS said.

Low-lying property such as homes, businesses and some critical infrastructure will see some flooding, according to the NWS. In San Francisco, part of the roadways on the Embarcadero were flooded, and in Sonoma County, all eastbound Highway 37 lanes were closed at Highway 121 due to flooding. Caltrans expected the lanes to reopen at 3 p.m.

The possible inundation level will be lower once the advisory is in effect. The NWS said about 2 feet will be possible.

A beach hazards statement will be in effect Sunday at 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. During that time, people are advised to stay off jetties, piers, rocks and other waterside infrastructure as sneaker waves could run much farther up than usual.

People are also advised to stay out of the water due to powerful rip currents that could quickly pull people from the shore.

Flooding in the North Bay

Part of Marin County was flooded on Friday due to the king tides. 

It was the third straight day of king tides, and the flooding worsened as soil that had absorbed days of rain could no longer take in additional water. Severe flooding was reported in Mill Valley, Corte Madera, and Larkspur, where businesses, homes, cars, and even a stretch of Highway 101 were submerged.

In the Larkspur Marina neighborhood, streets turned into rivers and parking lots into lakes. A small stretch of Highway 101 briefly became part of the bay.

“It’s never been this bad,” said Mark Krawec, a Larkspur resident whose garage was partially underwater.

Krawec said the lowest part of his garage floor was about 3 to 4 inches under water, while his house itself remained dry. Homes in the Larkspur Marina area are typically raised a couple of feet above ground level, but garages are not. That’s why many garages in the neighborhood were flooded. On Riviera Circle, one garage was submerged in about 4 feet of water.

“As soon as the driveway is clear, we’ll open the garage doors and air things out. Maybe some Drywall will need to be replaced,” Krawec said.

Around 11:30 Saturday morning, water in the neighborhood had begun to recede, but large portions of the area were still under one to two feet of water. Some residents used surfboards and kayaks to get around flooded streets.

“I’ve been here since 1989 and this will be the third time I’ve seen serious flooding in this area,” said Larkspur resident Elson Lee. “By far, this is the worst.”

Residents also shared video showing backyards submerged and merging with Corte Madera Creek. At Redwood High School, the back parking lot flooded, though school buildings were not affected.

Nearby in Corte Madera, cars stalled in deep water, shopping center parking lots flooded, and portions of Highway 101 were submerged. At times, only one lane in each direction remained passable, backing up traffic for hours.

“Looks like there’s a river coming through here. Never seen a current like this come through here,” said Corte Madera resident Sara Kroeger.

“Spectacular in a bad way. It is spectacular,” said Cliodna O’Donnell, another Corte Madera resident.

Some residents said conditions appeared normal when they left for work around 7 a.m., only to deteriorate rapidly later in the morning. Several people left work early to check on their homes, but were unable to get back inside flooded neighborhoods.

“High tide was at 11:09, I think, today. And probably at 10:30, it was really flowing in, it was pouring through from the creek. And [the flooding] happened very quickly,” said Larkspur resident Tom Steele.

One young man said he plans to move out of the area, but Krawec said he intends to stay.

“I don’t think the water is going to get into the house in my lifetime. But it’s only going to get worse with sea level rise,” Krawec said.

No injuries were reported. Several residents said they checked on elderly neighbors during the flooding to make sure they were safe. With king tides expected to return Sunday and the ground already heavily saturated, neighbors remain concerned about more flooding ahead.