# High Tides Put Southern California Coast Under a Multi-Day Flood Warning

Developing: The strongest alert covers coastal San Diego and Orange counties through Thursday, while advisories extend across other California shores.

By The Signal Edition | U.S. / Weather
Published: 2026-10-26T10:07:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-26T10:07:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/signal-1v12zub-coastal-flood-warning-2026-10-26
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/3c7a221776bf26181150d9aa9ce62dbc.avif (A Pacific wave crashes against a rocky cliff at Crystal Cove Beach in California.; credit: Trac Vu / Unsplash)

## Summary
- The NWS Coastal Flood Warning covers San Diego and Orange County coastal areas until 1 p.m. PDT Thursday, Oct. 29.
- Observed high tides in the warning area are running 1.5 to 1.7 feet above astronomical predictions.
- Separate, lower-level advisories cover other parts of the Southern California and Bay Area coasts.

## Where the warning applies

The clearest match for the current coastal-flood-warning search spike is Southern California. As of Monday morning, the National Weather Service's San Diego office had a Coastal Flood Warning in effect for San Diego and Orange County coastal areas through 1 p.m. PDT Thursday, Oct. 29. The alert is timed around late-morning high tides, not a single storm landfall. [1](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) [2](https://beta.weather.gov/forecast/county/06073/)

This is part of a broader California high-tide episode, but the alerts are not all warnings. NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard has Coastal Flood Advisories, one level below a warning, for coastal areas of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, plus Catalina and Santa Barbara islands. The San Francisco forecast area has separate advisories around San Francisco, San Pablo and Monterey bays and parts of the Pacific coast. [1](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) [4](https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/high-tides-la-sf-22491528.php)

## A run of unusually high morning tides

The NWS warning says observed high tides in its warning area are running 1.5 to 1.7 feet above astronomical predictions. The San Diego office expects significant coastal flooding and warns that numerous roads may close and low-lying property, including homes, businesses and some critical infrastructure, could be inundated. Those are forecast impacts; the alert does not establish that every listed impact has occurred. [1](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) [2](https://beta.weather.gov/forecast/county/06073/)

For the separate advisory areas farther north, NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard forecasts late-morning high tides of 7.5 to 8 feet relative to mean lower low water, about 1 to 1.5 feet above astronomical projections, with the highest tides Monday through Wednesday. The Los Angeles Times separately reported that Orange and San Diego counties could see morning tides 1 to 1.7 feet above projections. [1](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) [3](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-25/socal-coast-braces-for-high-tides-heres-where-biggest-impacts-will-be)

## What to watch next

Local reporting describes preparations rather than a newly confirmed coastwide damage toll. The Los Angeles Times reported that Newport Beach was reinforcing sand berms, checking seawalls and preparing pumps and other equipment. The San Francisco Chronicle reported separately that San Diego and Los Angeles could approach record tide levels Tuesday morning while parts of the Bay Area could see unusually high October tides. [3](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-25/socal-coast-braces-for-high-tides-heres-where-biggest-impacts-will-be) [4](https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/high-tides-la-sf-22491528.php)

The situation remains active through Thursday's tide cycle. Residents should check the current alert for their exact beach or coastal zone, plan for possible closures near high tide and follow local instructions. The peak tide time varies by location, so a regional headline is not a substitute for the local forecast or tide table. The NWS advises against driving around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Search interest can point to the event, but it cannot by itself show which community is affected or whether damage has occurred. [1](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) [2](https://beta.weather.gov/forecast/county/06073/)

## Reporting sources
1. [National Weather Service: Coastal Flood Warning and Advisory Summary for Southern California](https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=sgx&wwa=all) (2026-10-26)
2. [National Weather Service: San Diego County Forecast and Active Alerts](https://beta.weather.gov/forecast/county/06073/) (2026-10-26)
3. [Los Angeles Times: Southern California coast braces for high tides](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-25/socal-coast-braces-for-high-tides-heres-where-biggest-impacts-will-be) (2026-10-25)
4. [San Francisco Chronicle: High tides expected along California coast](https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/high-tides-la-sf-22491528.php) (2026-10-23)