Los Angeles Leaders Say They're Acting Now Ahead of "Potentially Historic" El Niño Winter Storms
Officials say the event could be one of the strongest on record, with sea levels rising up to 1 foot and coastal flooding risk increasing.
- A pulse of warm water known as a Kelvin wave is surging toward the West Coast, expected to lift sea levels by up to a foot this month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
- Kelvin waves are a "fact of life" during El Niño, said Dillon Amaya, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, forming when equatorial trade winds weaken and push warm water bulges toward the Americas.
- Dillon Amaya noted that "people are on edge" as coastal communities like San Clemente already grapple with erosion, while Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley's deputy chief of staff, Alyssa Napuri, warned the wave could send water levels between six to 12 inches higher.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to mobilize resources, while National Weather Service meteorologist Logan Howard said impacts will reach Oregon and Washington state within days as the surge moves north at 150 miles per day.
- Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries' Ecosystem Science Division, warned the wave itself won't flood areas but "raises the baseline," amplifying future high tides and storm surges across the region.
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The Californian coastline is preparing for an unusual rise in sea level, which could reach about 30 centimetres under the effect of the Kelvin wave, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to be particularly strong this autumn and winter.
The effects of the huge wave of hot underwater water are likely to be magnified by the El Niño phenomenon.
Los Angeles Times
Lodinews.comKelvin wave hitting Southern California: What to expect as El Niño threatens the coast again
An El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave is bearing down on the Southern California shoreline, bringing with it the boosted risk of significant coastal flooding and beach erosion.
A Massive Kelvin Wave Is Heading Toward California
A large Kelvin wave of warm water is expected to reach the California coast around mid-October. The slow-moving bulge of water could temporarily raise sea levels along the coastline by about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm). This extra water, combined with high tides, large waves, or storms, may increase the risk of coastal flooding and erosion.
El Niño Is Bringing Kelvin Waves to California. Here's What To Know
Homes off the Alamitos Peninsula braces for waves from a waning swell from Hurricane Marie combined with a 6 ft. high tide that has been flooding streets and homes on Sept. 8, 2026 in Long Beach, Calif. —Kelvin Kuo—Getty ImagesA large pulse of wave energy generated by El Niño conditions, known as a Kelvin wave, is expected to travel up the West Coast, raising sea levels and increasing the risk of coastal erosion for beachfront towns. As a resul…
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