Pacific Hurricane Generates Huge Waves, Coastal Flooding in Mexico and Southern Cal

Hurricane Marie generated huge swells at it spun off the coast of of Mexico earlier this week. On Sun Aug 24, Marie's winds increased to 160 MPH, making it a cat-5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. Although Marie was centered more than 300 miles SW of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, and more than 800 miles SSW of Southern California, the storm generated massive waves along both of these coastlines.

 Hurricane Marie intensified to a cat-5 hurricane with winds as high as 160 MPH, as it spun off the Mexican coast earlier this week. Image: USA Today

Marie track and wind speed map provided by Weather Underground.

These waves drew both surfers and spectators to locations like The Wedge at Newport Beach, CA. Maybe we finally know why school on the west coast doesn't start until mid-September in many locations. Why try to hold class when surf's up?

Unfortunately, Marie also caused coastal flooding problems for locations like Seal Beach, CA. Sand berms on beaches and sand bags in front of buildings helped reduce coastal flooding impacts, however, high water inundated streets and homes in Seal Beach.

KGW in Portland, OR, put together a nice photo gallery of this event in Southern Cal. The gallery can be found at: http://www.kgw.com/picture-gallery/weather/2014/08/27/large-waves-from-marie-hit-california/14701063/

Here are some selected pictures:

A surfer rides a wave at The Wedge on Aug. 27 in Newport Beach, Calif. Thundering surf spawned by Hurricane Marie pounded the southern California coast with 20-foot waves.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Chris Carlson, AP

A boogie-boarder rides a wave at the wedge in Newport Beach.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Chris Carlson, AP

A large crowd gathers to watch surfers and body surfers ride waves at the wedge in Newport Beach.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Chris Carlson, AP

A loader fills in a sand berm beside the pier at Seal Beach.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Frederic J. Brown, AFP/Getty Images

A man walks through a flooded area at Seal Beach.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP

Residents carry sandbags to protect homes after high tide and large waves caused heavy flooding in Seal Beach, Calif.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Kevin Warn, AP

A resident sweeps out floodwater from a home in Seal Beach, Calif.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Kevin Warn, AP

 

A bike rider makes his way through a flooded street after high tide and large waves caused heavy flooding in Seal Beach, Calif. A low-lying street in the Southern California coastal community of Seal Beach has been inundated by a surge of rising seawater brought on by Hurricane Marie spinning off Mexico's Pacific coast.  Caption: KGW, Photo: Kevin Warn, AP. A note from Hurricane Hal: Observe that the water level in this location is at least 1.5 ft (0.46 m) above ground level, based on the bicycle in this photo.

Such flooding events bring long-term coastal hazards, like sea-level rise, into every day conversation. They make us ask questions like, "How much worse will an event like this be in 25 or 50 years, with additional sea-level rise?"

Although much of my research has focused on the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, as well as other high-profile tropical cyclone locations, like Australia, East Asia and the Bay of Bengal, I became acutely aware of coastal flooding problems in Southern Cal when I attended our annual RISA meeting in La Jolla, CA, last December. Strong onshore winds pushed waves and water against the window right next to my head during one morning of the conference. The high water from that event inundated several streets in La Jolla, and helped me understand the vulnerability of coastal flooding in Southern Cal, on a day with no offshore hurricanes, but only strong onshore winds.