Newport Beach Flood Risk Rises After 7.6-Foot Tide Reading

Newport Beach is stepping up flood preparations after a tide gauge near Balboa Island recorded 7.6 feet on October 24—nearly 2 feet above the predicted level, according to city officials cited by KTLA. With exceptionally high tides expected in the coming days, officials are warning waterfront and low-lying neighborhoods to prepare for possible flooding.

I’m watching that gap between the tide prediction and the actual reading more closely than any tempting green surf rating. My BODI forecast can help identify a promising wave window; it is not a permission slip to cross a flooded street or squeeze past a beach work zone. The ocean does not accept screenshots as evidence.

Newport adds sand, berms and pumping preparations

According to KTLA, Newport Beach has expanded its coastal protection efforts, using dozens of trucks for sand replenishment while crews reinforce berms, position sandbags near vulnerable seawalls and prepare pumps and tide-control infrastructure. Mayor Lauren Kleiman also urged residents to stay alert to changing conditions, the station reported.

At the peninsula’s surf-famous end, Brent Weldon’s October 24 YouTube report describes a large protective berm at The Wedge and says crews had brought in more than 2,000 cubic yards of sand. Weldon reported that water had reached the berm’s top in places during his coverage.

Those are reports of active coastal defenses, not confirmation that every access route is open. Neither report establishes a reopening status for the break. I would check current city notices and lifeguard instructions before making the drive, rather than treating a surf forecast as an access update.

The key distinction: KTLA’s 7.6-foot figure is a tide-gauge reading, not breaking-wave height. Don’t turn it into a seven-foot surf call—or add it to a wave forecast to invent one.

What the nearby surf model actually shows

For October 25, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast gives The Wedge Good, 3–4 feet, 74/100, with its best modeled window from 8–10 a.m., 2-knot wind and a falling tide. The model lists a southerly direction of 188° and a 12.15-second period.

That is shorter than the break’s preferred 15-second-plus swell period in our spot profile. Our profile also identifies jetty-enhanced shorebreak here: I would not recommend this as a beginner alternative just because the modeled size looks modest. A good wave score is not a coastal-hazard rating.

At Newport Point, the Surfing Tomorrow forecast calls for Good, 3–4 feet, 70/100, favoring 10 a.m.–noon, with 3-knot wind and a falling tide. It shares the model’s 188° direction and 12.15-second period. Newport Point’s profile favors a mid tide and longer, 14-second-plus south swell, so I’d keep expectations grounded rather than promise flawless walls.

For a smaller-wave comparison, Newport Lower Jetties rates Fair, 1–2 feet, 47/100 in the Surfing Tomorrow forecast, also best 10 a.m.–noon, with 3-knot wind and a falling tide. Its usual low-to-mid-tide preference does not establish safe access during this event.

What it means for surfers

My call is to separate wave quality, beach access and flood conditions before choosing a session:

• Check official updates first. Follow closures and crew directions, and keep clear of berm construction, pumps and machinery.
• Inspect the exit before entering. If water blocks your route or leaves no comfortable margin, skip that access point.
• Beginners: don’t chase a rating. Newport Lower Jetties has the smaller modeled surf, but that alone does not make it an appropriate lesson spot during a flood warning.
• Stay flexible on timing. The listed windows describe modeled surf quality, not verified periods of minimum flood risk.

I’m all for scoring a few clean lines. This time, though, checking the shoreline comes before checking the lineup.