Unprecedented high tidal events have caused states of emergency to be declared in Southern California. The high water is being driven by a combination of El Niño-warmed ocean waters, underground Kelvin waves, heavy southerly swells, and seasonal high-tide cycles.
Reports from several sources indicate that coastal communities make-shift defenses against higher tides are not holding.
In some cases, efforts to hold back the ocean waters have been not just ineffective, but counterproductive.
The number of idiots in that last video is stunning. The barefoot guy in the beginning has no idea what free nails and shards are in that wash, the cyclists are happily running their bikes through salt water, and the power of that surf can suck you into turbulent water in an instant. Even surfers should know the difference between their usual giant wave coming into an open beach and the debris-cluttered turbulence around those collapsing houses.
The loss of those expensive houses is not particularly disturbing to me, and at least it gets the media’s attention. As for the many houses built on Gulf Coast barrier islands in hurricane-rich areas, by now most have them have been replaced by expensively resilient raised houses, many of which provide good rental income that owners (individuals or investment “instruments”) will hope will outpace the cost of storm damage.