More big waves, coastal flooding are coming to SLO County. Here’s what to know
Another round of beach-pounding big waves was expected to slam into San Luis Obispo County’s coast this week, according to the National Weather Service.
The high surf could once again cause coastal flooding, the Weather Service warned on Tuesday.
King tides were also expected to hit San Luis Obispo County’s coast on Thursday and Friday, bringing an unusual third factor that could further impact the region’s shoreline.
The Weather Service issued a high surf advisory in effect from 9 p.m. Tuesday through 9 a.m. Friday. A coastal flood advisory was issued for 3 a.m. Wednesday until noon on Thursday.
The high surf was expected to bring breaking waves of 10 to 15 feet on Wednesday and 12 to 17 feet on Thursday. There’s likely to be dangerous rip currents associated with the high surf event, the Weather Service warned.
Minor coastal flooding could happen during the morning high tides on Wednesday and Thursday, although there wasn’t expected to be significant damage wrought on coastal roads or infrastructure, the Weather Service said.
On Wednesday, high tide was predicted to hit 6.5 feet at about 8:15 a.m. in Pismo Beach, according to the Weather Service.
The king tides on Thursday and Friday were likely to cause big swings in tide levels along California’s coast. The phenomenon impacts the state’s entire coast and often bring the highest and lowest tides of the year.
On Thursday, high tide was predicted to be about 6.75 feet at 8:55 a.m., and low tide at -1.67 feet at 4:28 p.m., according to the Pismo Beach Visitor Information Center.
Friday’s king tides should peak at high tide at 6.7 feet at 9:42 a.m. with low tide expected at -1.63 feet at 5:09 p.m., the visitor information center’s tide chart said Tuesday.
It’s possible high tides could be higher than predicted. Another high surf event in late December brought high tides of, at times, more than a half a foot higher than predicted by the Weather Service.
