Highest Tide in 20 Years Laps Beaches

The highest tide in 20 years occurred Tuesday morning, causing minor flooding in Orange County and forcing the closing of part of Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach briefly.

The unusually high tidal conditions are caused by a relatively rare alignment of the Earth, moon and sun, producing a stronger than normal gravitational pull on the oceans. But the effect on the Pacific is relatively small.

“We are not speaking of the parting of the waters, said National Weather Service tide expert Ted Fathauer. “It’s just a few more inches. . . . “

There will be more of the same this morning, but there shouldn’t be any major damage, authorities agreed.

In the winter of 1982-83, similar high tides with the help of heavy rains and winds from a series of storms caused $100 million in damage along the California coast. But since no major Pacific storms are in sight, Southern California is surviving quite handily. Though some beach dwellers piled up sandbags and boarded up windows, not much damage is expected.