California's Coastal Areas Face Serious Flooding Challenges

California's coastal regions are grappling with serious flooding issues. Heavy rain and unusually high tides have led to mudslides and flooding, causing significant travel disruptions.

Santa Barbara County Hit Hard

• Santa Barbara Airport was forced to close as floodwaters covered the runways, canceling flights.
• Highway 1 and Highway 101, two major routes, were shut down due to mudslides and flooding.

Weather Warnings and Predictions

The National Weather Service issued warnings:

• San Francisco Bay Area: Expected coastal flooding.
• Southern California: At risk of flash floods due to nearly a month of heavy rainfall, increasing landslide risks.

King Tides and Record High Water Levels

• John Feldhans, a spokesman for Santa Barbara Airport, stated the flooding was the worst they've seen, with the airport likely remaining closed until Sunday.
• The storm coincided with a rare alignment of the sun, earth, and moon, creating exceptionally high tides (king tides).
• In San Francisco, king tides reached nearly two and a half feet above normal levels, one of the highest since 1998.

Unprecedented Rainfall

• Los Angeles had already recorded nearly 13 inches of rain since October, more than three times the usual amount.
• The latest storm was expected to add at least another inch.

Forecast and Recovery

The rain is expected to ease by Sunday, with drier weather forecasted for the rest of the week, allowing affected areas time to recover.