High tides are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, serving as a stark reminder of the rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities. The Long Beach Peninsula, a narrow stretch of homes on the sand between the ocean and Alamitos Bay, is on the front lines of this crisis. The combination of strong swell and high tides has led to dramatic images of water splashing over sand berms, onto the boardwalk, and into streets. This phenomenon is not just a local issue but a global concern, with rising sea levels predicted to become the new normal by the end of the century. Mark Merrifield, an oceanography professor at Scripps, warns that what is currently rare will soon be almost constant. The recent tides have been high due to natural cycles related to the moon's position and El Niño, a natural climate pattern that warms the Pacific Ocean. Warmer water takes up more space, leading to higher sea levels. Pollution in our atmosphere is also contributing to the warming and higher sea levels, with sea levels rising at an increasing rate since the Industrial Revolution, according to NASA. Long Beach's climate action plan estimates sea levels will rise as much as 2 feet by 2050 and nearly 7 feet by 2100. The city has had to build sand berms to protect oceanfront properties from high tides and south swells, which the south-facing beach is particularly vulnerable to. City workers truck sand from the wider, western side of the beachfront back to the peninsula to replenish the sand that gets sucked away by the water. However, the city is running out of space to build the berms, and a project to dredge some 415,000 cubic yards of sand from the Alamitos Bay Channel is hoped to provide a solution. Charles Thomas, a long-time resident of the peninsula, has noticed the changes. He remembers when the beach was wider and a big 96-foot tent could be set up for parties. Now, water floods over eroded berms and under the lifeguard tower toward his house. Siobhan Gadallah, who rents a property on the peninsula, has experienced the impact of high tides. She notes that the waves splash over the berms intensely, and while her porch has been flooded, she is not too worried about the long-term prospects. The challenge for Long Beach is understanding how to live with high water, which is not something the city has normally done. The rising sea levels and increasing frequency of high tides are a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate action and adaptation strategies.
